The Worst Summer Vacation
by LostBerryQueen
Summary: Mildred spends summer vacation with Miss Hardbroom and Miss Pentangle. The two powerful witches have agreed to tutor her. Hecate is strict. Mildred gets into trouble. Fluff ensues. Contains Hicsqueak.
1. Chapter 1: The Voice of an Enemy

**Chapter One**

Mildred sat on her window sill in her room at Cackle's. Light streamed onto her notebook, illuminating dust. Mildred frowned and erased one of the lines of Miss Hardbroom's cheek. She carefully redrew it. No, it still wasn't right. She was getting frustrated. She didn't want to erase too much and wear a hole in the paper, or break her pencil lead. Instead, she set the sketchbook aside and started pacing.

"You're going to wear a hole in the floor," Miss Hardbroom materialized in the center of the room.

"Miss Hardbroom!" Mildred brightened instantly.

"Don't look so happy to see me. I have work for you to do."

"Okay, well, that's better than being bored! I was starting to get restless."

"I can see that. Come, let's put that energy to good use." Miss Hardbroom waved her fingers and they both disappeared and reappeared in a dusty room stacked with shelves.

Mildred coughed. "What? What are we doing in here?"

"These papers need sorting."

"Is this a punishment?"

"Not yet."

"But, Miss Hardbroom. Miss Pentangle said I need to keep working on my magic, I don't see how—"

"Silence! Magic requires discipline, attention to detail, and a willingness to occasionally perform repetitive dull tasks which need to be executed with precision. You, Mildred Hubble, lack these abilities. So, until you can improve, you will be sorting files. For one hour each day. At least. If you try to use magic or otherwise perform one of your nasty tricks," Miss Hardbroom paused, looking Mildred dead in the eyes. "There will be _consequences_." With that, she disappeared.

Mildred folded her arms and slumped.

 _My mum's happy. My mum's having a good time. She deserves this._ Mildred tried to use positive thinking strategies to keep her spirits up, but soon she found that her sniffles turned to tears. _Oh no. Miss Hardbroom is going to flip if I get these papers wet. Keep it together Mildred. At least it's not lines, my hand would be so sore by now if it was lines._

If Mildred was being honest with herself, her wrists and arms were starting to get a little sore from lifting stacks of paper. And her eyes were definitely getting tired from squinting at different labels on boxes and trying to read loopy handwriting. If she kept up this work, she might need glasses like Maud!

The papers were so unorganized it was making Mildred's head spin. Some of them were graded student's papers, others were overall progress reports on students. Some were complicated magical equations, Mildred wasn't sure if they were teacher's notes on spells that were supposed to work or student's failed attempts at creating spells. There was a different box labeled for each. One place where she was supposed to put teacher's favorite spells to teach, and another where she was supposed to put student's failed attempts.

Mildred recognized Miss Hardbroom's handwriting on some and filed them with the teachers. Mildred had started a pile for papers she didn't know how to sort, and that she would have to ask Miss Hardbroom about. That was the largest pile.

Mildred felt dread in her stomach, and fluttery nerves. Miss Hardbroom would yell at her when she saw it. Say she was so incompetent that she couldn't even sort papers properly. Mildred sniffled. She missed her mum. Suddenly, she didn't care how happy she was with her boyfriend. If her mum were with her, she would help Mildred practice her spells, even though she didn't even know magic! She was always encouraging and never called Mildred stupid no matter how much time it took for her to learn something. She said that taking more time just showed that she cared, and was dedicated. That that was all that really mattered. Her mum was the bats. It was so unfair that someone as kind and good as her didn't have magic, and someone as mean and unfair as HB did.

Mildred didn't even know why she thought about HB so much. She supposed that's what happened when you hated someone. And besides, she couldn't get her out of her head because she was always into her business, causing trouble for her, and trying to get her expelled. Well, she hadn't been trying to get her expelled so much lately. But she hadn't been very nice either.

Mildred's eyes fell on the unfinished student's spells. Mildred closed her eyes. She could hear Maud's voice in her mind. _Mildred don't. Don't do something to make HB hate you even more. Just endure it. It can't be as bad as being kicked out._

Mildred opened her eyes. _If I'm kicked out, at least I'll get to see my mum more._ She reached for one of the student's spells. _I'm not like Maud anyway. I don't have self-control like her._ _Maybe HB is right, maybe I don't deserve to be here. Well, I may as well have fun anyway._ Mildred swore she could hear Enid giggling. Enid would understand. Enid would support her. Mildred got a funny feeling in her stomach when she thought about Enid. It was like a firework, a golden one, exploding in her gut. She thought about HB more than she thought about Enid, but with Enid, there were none of the negative feelings attached.

Scrawled at the top of the paper were the words "the cruel become the cat." Mildred laughed. Someone had tried to turn a mean teacher into a familiar! She wondered if the student could have even been trying to use it on HB. _Must be,_ she could hear Enid say. _Who else?_

Mildred's eyes lit up gleefully as she looked at the spell. It took her a while, but eventually, she found a way of finishing the spell that she was pretty sure would work. "Yes, yes, yes!" She jumped up and down, clutching the paper to her chest. "Shut up Maud!"

"What did you say?" Miss Hardbroom materialized behind her.

Mildred felt all the breath leave her. Dread was clutching her. She turned around slowly. She dropped the paper.

Miss Hardbroom's eyes followed it to the floor. Her expression was full of fury and disgust.

Now was her chance. Mildred acted.

"Puppies milk, dogs are fat, turn this cruel bitch into a cat!" Mildred waved her hands. For a second nothing happened. Mildred thought she might die, that her heart might just snap and stop working as HB advanced towards her. Then HB was gone. Mildred looked down and saw a black cat.

The cat yowled and lunged. It dug its claws into Mildred's tights. Mildred ran for it. She managed to get out before the cat. She slammed the door, effectively locking the cat in the room with all of the papers. Mildred leaned against the door, panting, waves of terror rolled through her. Then she relaxed and smiled. "Well HB, now you know how it feels to be different." With that, Mildred snapped her fingers. She reappeared in her room. Mildred danced in a circle.

Mildred had her arms thrown into the air. "I even completed a transport spell!" She fell onto her bed with glee. Now for the next task. She would have to find a way to replace HB when Pippa came looking for her. Luckily, thoughts of another student were quick to inspire her, and this time, it wasn't her friend's voices that she imagined to help her, but the voice of her sworn enemy.


	2. Chapter 2: Pink Pizza

**Chapter Two**

Mildred had spent two hours and 34 minutes in the potions room. She had found one of HB's clocks in her drawer and used it to time herself. She felt completely different, punctual. As if she were half-HB and half-Ethel. It was almost like the spell she had used had transformed herself instead of transforming Miss Hardbroom.

Finally, Mildred's potion was ready. There had been no hair in Miss Hardbroom's brush, but Mildred had found the ends of clipped black fingernails in the trashcan in HB's bathroom. Mildred was fairly certain that her potion would work, but even so, the negative thoughts were still there in the pit of her stomach. She was only Mildred Hubble, after all, how much could she really change.

Taking a deep breath, Mildred tasted the potion. In an instant, Mildred felt herself transform. She looked down at her hands and smiled, releasing relieved laughter. Miss Hardbroom's long, perfect fingers stared up at her, shiny black nail polish, expertly trimmed.

"I'm HB!" Mildred giggled to herself.

Mildred snapped out of her happy state as Miss Pentangle walked in. It seemed that she had timed things perfectly.

"I thought I might find you in here," Pippa said.

Mildred felt a sudden swooping sensation in her stomach and wondered if it was HB's body reacting to Miss Pentangle's or her own. Maybe some strange combination.

"How was it?" Mildred asked. She had never felt this nervous around Pippa before. By Pippa's expression, the pink covered witch hadn't noticed anything amiss yet.

Pippa wrapped her arms around Mildred and Mildred jumped. _Oh no, I've blown it now._ To Mildred's surprise, Pippa only laughed. "You're so tense." She whispered in Mildred's ear. "The witching walk was fine." Mildred relaxed as Pippa released her and paced around the potions lab, as if she was reenacting the walk. "I saw a lot of creative new spells. You're right, I think Mildred would have loved it! It's too bad you have to be sixteen before you can attend. But, maybe we will be able to take her then, who knows?"

Mildred felt confusion and something more as she listened to Pippa. She didn't know if it was her nerves or what, she just couldn't seem to entirely understand what she was saying, but at the same time, something seemed to be dawning on her.

"Where is Mildred?" Pippa asked.

Mildred mustered as much venom as she could. "The wretched girl is sorting papers." Mildred spat. "She's where she belongs." Mildred found a huge grin coming to her face, which was weirdly twisted by the fact that she only had HB's facial muscles at her disposal. It felt so good and so strange to hear HB's voice emanating from her own throat.

"Hecate, is something wrong?" Pippa asked.

"No, nothing at all. I mean, why would you even think that?" Mildred let out a nervous laugh, which sounded so strange on HB that she let out another.

"Were you having flashbacks to Broomhead?" Pippa's face is full of sympathy. "I know how hard it can be for you to be around students when you have those. You really should consider the modern spelled pastry I can make you. I know I've offered before, but if it's getting so bad that you can't even be around Mildred, your favorite student no less!"

Mildred's mouth dropped open. "What?"

"I'm sorry Hecate. I shouldn't keep badgering you about it. It is your business."

Pippa grabbed her hand. She tugged her away from the potions lab and down the corridor. Pippa seemed even more energetic and happy then Mildred had ever seen her before. Pippa tugged her into her room, closed the door, pressed her against it, and started kissing her.

Mildred gasped. Miss Hardbroom's body responded to the touch with what felt like magic exploding down her chest, past her stomach and into her legs. Mildred instinctively pushed Pippa away. She had never been kissed before. Though admittedly, she hadn't given it much thought, she had still never expected her first kiss to be like this.

"Hecate?"

"I'm sorry, it's my er, allergies." Mildred opened the door that a second ago she had been pressed to, left the room and slammed it behind her.

Mildred snapped her fingers. She was surprised at how much easier a transport spell was in Miss Hardbroom's body. She reappeared in her own room, in Mildred's room, and started pacing the floor, going over where she had been pacing this morning, but in the opposite direction this time.

"Allergies! Really, Mildred? How could you be so stupid?" As Mildred paced she started feeling more and more helpless and she wished she could be back here this morning with her sketchbook, bored and with nothing to do. She even wished that she was sorting papers again. This was a huge mess.

It hadn't been created by Ethel, or Agatha, or HB trying to expel her. This was all her fault.

Mildred sat in the window sill and opened her sketchbook. Of course it had to open to her sketch of HB. Most of her more recent sketches had been of HB. A tear fell onto HB's perfectly sculpted, adequately imitated cheek. Mildred giggled. She imagined that would be how HB would describe it, if she even liked drawing that is, which she didn't. Mildred touched where the tear had been. Then she noticed her fingers. She was Mildred Hubble again.

Mildred sighed. "Well, HB. I've got to help you, don't I?"

There was a knock on Mildred's door. For a moment, her spirits raised, thinking that perhaps it was HB, and she had only imagined the events of the day. Then the voice came through to her. "Mildred, are you in there?"

It was only Pippa. Mildred could never remember being disappointed to hear Pippa's voice. Ever. But now she was.

Mildred wiped off her face. "Yes, I'm here." She said as sweetly as she could. A part of her felt disgusted at how much she reminded herself of Ethel. "Come in, Miss Pentangle."

Miss Pentangle entered with a flourish and a smile. "How are you Mildred? I heard Hecate was a little hard on you today."

"I'm alright. It wasn't so bad. I was just sorting papers. Miss Hardbroom said it would help me with my discipline."

"You've always had such a positive attitude. I admire that about you Mildred. Hecate has been... stressed. I'm sure she'll be happy to work with you on your magic tomorrow."

Mildred swallowed her guilt and managed a smile. "Okay. I look forward to it then."

"Okay, Mildred." Miss Pentangle's smile increased. Mildred thought that she never really stopped smiling, she just smiled extra when she meant to smile, like where a normal person was neutral, she was smiling, and where a normal person would smile, she smiled extra. "I just came up here to remind you that dinner is in ten minutes."

"Okay, I wouldn't miss it." Mildred said.

After Pippa smiled extra again and turned to leave, Mildred bit her lip and forced herself to wait until the door was closed. Then she scrambled off of her bed.

Mildred snapped her fingers and transported herself to the kitchens. She opened and closed cabinets hurriedly, managing to knock over a bag of flower. Mildred jumped back from the spilled mess. _Are you a witch, or a fool?_ Mildred thought. _Fool? Do you mean idiot? HB's thoughts must have somehow rubbed off on mine._

Mildred cast a spell and summoned a can of sardines. Then, not allowing herself time to think, she snapped her fingers again.

She was inside the room. The room with all the papers, where she had committed her crime. The room seemed much darker than before, but maybe that was just her stomach. Mildred looked around, expecting to be attacked at any minute. Nothing happened.

Mildred magicked the can open. She did a sloppy job and some of the contents spilled onto the floor.

A cat came out of the shadows. Mildred jumped and dropped the can.

The slender cat sat down and stared at her. Then, she started licking her paw and drawing it over her face. Carefully she stepped forward and started licking up Mildred's mess.

"I'm sorry HB," Mildred said.

The cat looked up. She approached her, and Mildred backed away. The cat advanced forward. Mildred hit the back of a shelf and knocked papers on the floor. The cat had her trapped. She expected it to claw her. Instead, the cat rubbed her legs, purring.

"I'm really sorry HB," Tears fell from Mildred's eyes and onto the cat's fur. The cat growled warningly. Mildred chewed on her nails.

The cat walked away, back to the food, and continued to eat. Mildred remembered that it was time for her dinner. She didn't want to be late. She snapped her fingers.

"Wow Mildred!" Pippa exclaimed.

Mildred was greeted by Miss Pentangle's always enthusiastic face.

"You're getting good at that."

"I am, aren't I?" Mildred sat down at the table.

It was just her and Pippa. Pippa must have made the food. It had a shimmery pink glow about it, even though it was only cheese pizza, Mildred's favorite. Her and Pippa and HB and their cats were the only ones at Cackle's for the summer. When Miss Cackle had heard that Mildred would be staying with HB and Pippa over the summer, she had offered the school up for their use. 'The perfect place for Mildred to learn', according to Miss Cackle, and 'a better place for Mildred to ruin than a personal home', according to Miss Hardbroom.

"Maybe I can surprise Ethel too next year." Mildred frowned. "Though knowing her, she'll have figured out how to do way more impressive things."

"One day, maybe you and Ethel will overcome your differences."

Mildred laughed. She ate a few bites of pizza. She let a concerned expression come to her face, which was full of honest emotion, despite her deceptive use of it. "Where's Miss Hardbroom? She's never late for dinner."

"She wasn't feeling well." Pippa said. "I'll bring food up to her later. Don't worry Mildred. I'm sure she'll feel better tomorrow morning."

Mildred did not have to fake the terror she felt. For a moment, it felt like she was going to be sick. Then the feeling passed, and somehow she felt even more hungry. Perhaps Pippa had spelled the pizza. She loved Pippa's food.

That night, Mildred paced around her room. She was expecting Pippa to burst in at any moment, saying that she couldn't find Hecate. The suspense was killing her. But time kept passing and Pippa made no appearance.

Maybe, Pippa didn't know that anything was wrong. Maybe, it wouldn't be unusual for Miss Hardbroom to just go off on her own without telling anyone. Maybe, Pippa just thought Miss Hardbroom was angry.

Mildred sat on her bed and slumped down. She fiddled with her hands. She desperately wanted to mirror Enid and Maud. The same thing that had stopped her from asking Pippa for help stopped her now.

She didn't want them to see how stupid she really was. Maud was the smart one, and Enid was the fun, cool one. What was she? She was the dumb one. And she hated it. She didn't want to be that anymore. As much as it terrified her, she would have to solve this alone.

Maybe not right now though. She was tired. For now she would sleep. She set her alarm for one hour before when they would usually have breakfast together.

Mildred slept well. She always did after eating Pippa's food. She threw her covers off when her alarm buzzed, forcing herself up. She set the alarm again and paced her room for a half an hour. She wondered how HB had liked her night as a cat. A part of her was happy that HB might be suffering. She never had as much power over her teacher as she did now. And she never would again. But what was she turning into? Was she a dumber version of Ethel now? Would she even survive the morning? She really was sacrificing a lot by helping HB. But she had to. She didn't want HB to stay a cat forever. She missed her. When the alarm went off, she scrunched up her face. _Do it, Millie. Do it now or you'll never find the courage._

Mildred snapped her fingers and appeared in the room with the papers. She nearly landed on Miss Hardbroom, who was curled up in the center of the room, and who was still a black cat. The cat uncurled herself and sat, staring at Mildred.

Mildred closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Bring back this witch who is not a bitch, here appear: Hecate Hardbroom!"

The cat transformed and in its place stood the Deputy Headmistress of Cackle's Academy in all her regal glory.

"Your back and you're not a cat!" Mildred jumped up and down in joy and relief, forgetting to be scared and even giggling until she met Miss Hardbroom's eyes.

"Oh, Mildred Hubble. What have you got yourself into now."

Mildred stood perfectly still as HB advanced on her.


	3. Chapter 3: Back to the Pond

**Chapter Three**

Mildred was speechless as she stared up at Miss Hardbroom.

Mildred felt very small as Hecate loomed over her. The tall witch wiggled her fingers and Mildred became as small as she felt.

She was also covered in slime. "Not this again!" But when she spoke her words were only croaks.

"A fair, punishment, don't you think?" HB said.

"No!" Mildred stomped one of her webbed feet. "I turned you into a cat. A predator, with nice soft fur. You turned me into a slimy frog! Tabby's going to eat me now the next time he sees me!"

"I wonder," Miss Hardbroom said. "If I used your own spell on you, if I would hear you begging for mercy and forgiveness. Or, if you would, as I expect, be saying awful things that would only get you into more trouble."

Miss Hardbroom waved her hands again and Mildred felt new magic wash over her.

What? Mildred tried to croak the word aloud but when she opened her mouth, no sound came out.

"A silencing spell." Miss Hardbroom smiled nastily. "Just what you have always needed."

Miss Hardbroom lifted Mildred up. Mildred felt dizzy and vulnerable. Her entire body fit in the palm and fingers of Miss Hardbroom's hand.

Miss Hardbroom's face came nearer, so large, powerful, and displeased. For a fleeting moment Mildred thought Miss Hardbroom was going to eat her. Sink her teeth into her flesh. Then Miss Hardbroom placed her on her shoulder.

Mildred thought she might pass out. She leaned her head and a webbed foot on Miss Hardbroom's neck.

"Ah! Slime!" Miss Hardbroom jumped and Mildred nearly slid off her shoulder. The humiliation of HB's reaction registered underneath the fear of death that gripped her as she scrambled and struggled to stay on the large shoulder.

HB must have waved her hand again because Mildred felt herself transforming. Her toes growing longer, body growing upwards. She stretched out her arms, pushed with her feet, and suddenly instead of falling, she was flying! She opened her mouth to let out a caw of delight but no sound would come out in this form either. She flew around the room in a half circle.

"That won't do either."

Mildred's sharp eyes picked up on the wave of HB's fingers. The air seemed to have dropped from underneath her feathers. Mildred fell and landed painfully on a stack of papers. Her wings ached. She scrambled to her talons and tried to take flight again but only fell back on the papers.

"Be still. Stop your struggling." Miss Hardbroom approached her. She moved her shoulder towards Mildred. "Come here."

Mildred folded her useless wings, bowed her head and stepped onto HB's shoulder.

"Punished birds do not fly." Miss Hardbroom said. "You will stay on my shoulder until your punishment is over."

Mildred shifted from foot to foot. At least that was something to look forward to, right? Something to be hopeful about. Miss Hardbroom might actually turn her back into a human. Her punishment might actually someday be over.

Miss Hardbroom transferred them both to the dining hall. Mildred stumbled drunkenly on HB's shoulder, feeling sick, like she had the first time a transfer spell was used on her. Transfer spells must not agree with birds.

"Hecate!" Pippa exclaimed. "Where were you last night? I was so worried. I thought you might have gone home for a bit, to deal with your flashbacks, but I wasn't sure. Were you upset with me?"

"You should really ask Mildred where I was last night." Hecate gestured to the bird on her shoulder. "But she can't answer you at the moment, as she is being punished." Hecate took a seat at the table. "This food looks lovely, Pippa."

"Hecate, is that Mildred? Why on earth have you turned her into a bird?"

Mildred shifted from talon to talon. Watching Hecate eat made her realize how hungry she was. Seeing Pippa made her wish that HB would not turn her back into a human. For once she felt like her explanation would not be much better than Miss Hardbroom's.

"Yesterday, I had Mildred sorting papers while I mirrored Julie Hubble. When I went to collect her for her potions lesson she turned me into a cat."

The shame Mildred felt was worse than any slime or feathers that couldn't fly. It was shame that she had felt since the first time HB had humiliated her. Intensified. Mildred wondered if HB was lying about the potions lesson just to make her feel bad. Mildred wished that she had left HB as a cat.

"Into a cat? Why did she do that? And why did you wait to tell me until this morning? And just disappear on me last night."

Hecate set down her drink. "Come with me, Pippa."

Mildred stared at the food longingly, but was relieved when they walked away from it instead of transferring. Her heartbeat sped up when she saw where they were going. Mildred hoped the heart of her animal form could contain all of her emotion without splitting down the middle. She had no idea how her human heart seemed to anyway.

They were inside the potions lab. HB strode up to her cauldron. "Ah, just as I had suspected. See this? It seems Mildred not only turned me into a cat last night, but she impersonated me as well."

"Hecate, is this because—"

"No, I haven't told her yet. I confess I am not sure what motivated Mildred to cause such mischief this time. I am a bit intrigued to hear the story she will have come up with when I turn her back."

"Hecate, we should talk to her now, and decide on a punishment after we have heard what she has to say."

"I don't think that I would believe what she has to say."

"This isn't right Hecate."

"No? Too old-fashioned? Tell me, Pippa, how do they punish naughty children in the _modern_ witching world."

"We don't believe in punishments at Pentangles. We believe in discussion. In empathy, Hecate. Understanding. We believe in creating solutions, _together_."

"This is exactly why things worked out the way they did. You and I will never agree on these kinds of things!" With that, Hecate transferred her and Mildred to Miss Hardbroom's private quarters.

Miss Hardbroom had transferred herself directly onto her bed, where she sat, slumped, her head in her hands. Mildred stumbled and dug her talons into HB's shoulder for balance. She was lightheaded and sure she would soon faint. She saw wetness on Miss Hardbroom's face. At first she thought it was blood. Even though the liquid was clear, blood seemed far more likely than the two tears that were rolling down her face.

Mildred opened her mouth, desperately trying to let out a noise. She pressed her head into the skin on Hecate's neck.

As Mildred's eyes drooped closed, she saw Miss Hardbroom wave her fingers.

Mildred's head was growing larger, heavier. Her wings stretched out. Her talons descended into legs. She was Mildred Hubble, in her human form. Her arms were wrapped around Miss Hardbroom. Her head was rested on her neck. Mildred barely had time to register that Miss Hardbroom was actually hugging her back, before her vision faded away in a burst of light and she slumped against Miss Hardbroom, completely unconscious.


	4. Chapter 4: Cat Eyes

**Chapter Four**

Mildred awoke tucked into a bed with a firm, sturdy, yet also somehow comfortable mattress. She recognized that she was not in her quarters. The room looked much smaller now that she was in human form. A jolt like a bullet ran through her when she met Miss Hardbroom's eyes. She felt a sweat breaking out on her forehead.

Then she noticed how soft HB's expression was.

Mildred tried to stand up but stopped when she realized there was a white tray across her chest like a seatbelt. Mildred opened her mouth to apologize profusely for what she had done, and that's when Miss Hardbroom shoved a spoon into her mouth.

Mildred cringed at the taste of oatmeal. She was so hungry that the food concerned her more than the fact that _HB was spoon feeding her!_ She swallowed it anyway. It was clear that Pippa had not made this. Coming from Miss Hardbroom, Mildred was grateful for anything that wasn't poison.

"I've left the silencing spell on you," Miss Hardbroom held out the spoon for Mildred to take. "Eat."

Mildred, grateful for even an ounce of control returning to her life, took the spoon and quickly started shoveling food into her mouth.

"Turning you into two animals, one after the other, was a bit much. You will feel faint for a while. The silencing charm will be good for you. You can rest up, and stew in silent guilt. When your strength has returned, you can write me an essay about why we don't turn our teachers into cats." Miss Hardbroom's eyes flashed. "When the essay is perfected to my satisfaction you can have your voice back."

Mildred nodded vigorously.

Mildred looked at the tray and saw that there was some green fruit, cut perfectly symmetrically, on it as well. Normally she hated that kind of fruit, but she was so thirsty right now she scooped it up and ate it. It would be much better than cold water on her uneasy stomach. If Pippa had prepared this tray for her there would definitely have been watermelon. It was clear Miss Pentangle had nothing to do with this. Mildred wondered where she was. A sudden fear hit her. Had Miss Hardbroom and Miss Pentangle broken up over her?

Mildred smacked her own forehead, she was such an idiot. So engrossed in her food and thoughts, she had forgotten she wasn't alone until Miss Hardbroom grabbed her wrist and wrenched it down. "Self-harm is not allowed."

Mildred opened her mouth then realized she couldn't say sorry. Then she opened her mouth again to try and apologize for forgetting about the silencing charm.

Hecate sighed. "One benefit of the silencing charm is that you cannot apologize excessively for things you don't need to apologize for, Mildred Hubble."

The way Miss Hardbroom purred her name never failed to send shivers down her spine. Her tone seemed to say, _oh yes Mildred, you should be afraid. I am the cat, and you are the bird that cannot fly. The question is not if I will kill you, but when._

"Drink." Miss Hardbroom pointed to the water as if she was instructing her on how to make a potion. Mildred took a sip, and as the water went down resentment rose up in her, as she remembered all the times Miss Hardbroom would help every student in the classroom with their potions except her. And Ethel, but of course, Ethel didn't need help. But she did. And HB would let her fail on her own, then happily place all of the blame on her shoulders.

Mildred realized that HB must have seen something change in her face. Mildred was never very good at hiding emotion. Always a sweet, innocent, open book. With the best intentions and often the worst, disastrous outcomes. It was actually a bit of a relief to finally have an incident to her name that lived up to her title as the worst witch. This time it was all her fault.

"I know," HB stroked her cheek. "You can tell me all about the anger that lead to you turning me into a cat in your essay. You won't pass the test if you're not honest."

Mildred folded her arms and glared down at the tray. She wished it wasn't empty. She was really still hungry. To her surprise, HB waved her fingers and seconds appeared on the tray, the oatmeal, the green fruit, and the water, was back.

When Miss Hardbroom stood up and turned her back on her Mildred wanted to cry. She didn't want Miss Hardbroom to leave.

Instead of leaving Miss Hardbroom paced the room. Mildred relaxed a little but then suddenly wished that Miss Hardbroom had left. She felt tears rolling down her eyes as she sipped more water, and shoveled more oatmeal into her. The oatmeal was warm this time. It had been cold before.

"I had a lot I wanted to tell you today, Mildred. I don't want to tell you it anymore. I don't know if I will want to tell you. Ever."

Mildred felt as though a gigantic boulder was sinking through her stomach to crush everything beneath it.

Miss Hardbroom paced viciously. "Your silly little mistakes. Your innocent pleading. You never belonged in the magical world. From the first moment I saw you, Mildred, my instincts told me to get you away from magic, away from me. My reason caught up a little later and agreed. _The worst witch there ever was._ With the best intentions. Never failing to save Cackle's. You _never_ resembled me at all." Hecate turned to face her, eyes burning with hatred as she met Mildred's. Brown on brown. "Until you turned me into a cat, that is."


	5. Chapter 5: Silent Laughter

**Chapter Five**

There was a loud banging on the door. "I demand to be let in at once, Hiccup! You cannot make these decisions without me. You cannot keep her from me like this!"

Hecate had her face in one hand, and was sitting in a chair, not as far away from Mildred as the room would allow, but not close to the poor girl either. Hecate waved her free hand and the door swung open.

Pippa strode into the room, looking far less hysterical than she had sounded. "Millie!" Pippa said, delighted to see that the child was, well, a child once again. "I brought watermelon, and well, bird seed. Thankfully you don't seem to be needing the bird seed anymore." She shot a glance at Hecate.

Hecate examined her nails. "Keep it. We might need it later."

"Don't listen to her," Pippa said, placing a bowl of watermelon on Mildred's tray.

Mildred gave her a double thumbs up and mouthed the words 'Thank you.'

"We haven't had any conversations yet. As you can see, _Millie_ , " Miss Hardbroom said the nickname distastefully, as if she were mocking Pippa for using it earlier. "Is under a silencing charm and will be until she writes me an essay explaining why she felt it necessary to turn me into a cat."

"So, you decided to compromise," Pippa went over to Hecate and kissed her on the cheek.

Hecate stiffened. "I did not! Mildred simply could not be a bird any longer. I may have been so furious with her that upon regaining my powers I turned her first into a frog and then into a bird. She started to go unconscious as I was changing her back. Which is why she is resting up now."

"Oh, Hecate! A frog, and a bird!" Pippa made a face at Mildred. "Don't you think the poor girl has been punished enough? Come on, Hiccup. I want to speak with her for the Great Wizard's sakes."

"I will have you know that she has not. The only food she gave me for an entire day and night was one can of sardines she spilled on the floor. If we were doing this the old way Mildred would be—"

"Hecate, shush! That's enough!" Pippa said.

Mildred watched Miss Hardbroom's nostrils flair and face go red. Pippa was probably one of the only people who could interrupt Miss Hardbroom without being turned into a frog.

Mildred opened her mouth to point out that when Ethel had turned her into a frog, Miss Cackle had made Ethel spend two days as a frog as punishment. When she tried this, her mouth moved uselessly in what Hecate must have interpreted to be the beginning of a speech agreeing with Pippa.

"Mildred, close your mouth this instant." Hecate said. "You cannot speak anyway."

Mildred picked up a piece of watermelon and bit into it, eyeing HB defiantly and savoring the juice from the fruit. Mildred felt much braver now that Pippa was here in the room with her.

"I know what you're thinking," Miss Hardbroom said.

Mildred's eyes widened.

"Pippa cannot protect you from me," Miss Hardbroom assured her.

Mildred suddenly felt cold, and tugged at the blankets, forgetting about the tray as she tried to get them closer to her face. Miss Hardbroom, who kept everything safe and in order, levitated the tray before it could crash to the ground and magicked it to rest on her dresser.

Watermelon forgotten, Mildred pulled the blankets over her face and curled into a tight ball like a small child. Only the tips of Mildred's hair stuck out.

Pippa gave Hecate a look meant to communicate how cute she thought Mildred was. Hecate rolled her eyes and was about to say something when Pippa pressed a finger to her lips.

Pippa tip toed over to the bed. Suddenly she reached out and grabbed the lump that was Mildred. "Got cha!" Pippa started tickling Mildred and the lump thrashed around under the blankets. Finally, Mildred's head emerged, gasping for air, mouth open in a smile of silent laughter.

"You _know_ how much better this would be if you could hear her."

"You've wrinkled my blankets," Miss Hardbroom sniffed.

A white cat emerged from under the bed. She looked over her shoulder distastefully and sent a meow in the direction of Pippa and Mildred. Then she jumped onto Hecate's lap.

Mildred pointed in astonishment at the cat. Trying to ask if it was HB's.

"Yes," Pippa said affectionately. "You see, Miss Hardbroom is like you. Her cat has a unique coat as well."

Hecate pet her familiar carefully, saying nothing.

 _Is that why she hated being a black cat?_ Mildred wanted to say and laugh, but no sound came out.

Miss Hardbroom gave her a look that wiped the smile off of her young face.

"I think it is time," Miss Hardbroom said, stroking her purring cat, "for Mildred Hubble to write her essay. She seems to be recovered enough—"

 _Pippa has that effect on people._ Mildred wanted to say.

Miss Hardbroom snapped her fingers against her thumb and Mildred's mouth closed none to gently.

Mildred made an _ow_ face.

Hecate sighed. "The sooner Ms. Hubble has her voice back the better, I suppose. Though she doesn't seem to need it to be a complete nuisance."

Pippa gave Mildred a side hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Write well, my dear."

Pippa strode from the room and Hecate smirked as she watched all of the happiness drain from Mildred's face.

Just when it seemed she was out the door, Pippa turned back, kissed Hecate on the cheek, and whispered in her ear. "You've always been able to be strict without being cruel. Don't let your anger ruin it this time, I trust you Hecate." She kissed her again, squeezed her shoulder, then really was gone.


	6. Chapter 6: Sincerely Mildred

**Chapter Six**

Mildred's hand shook as she wrote on the paper, her writing messy and hurried, like a dehydrated dog licking up water off of cardboard.

Mildred wrote:

 _Miss Hardbroom, please can you let me talk? Please Please Please! I don't know how to write this essay. Help?_

Miss Hardbroom read the paper Mildred had given her. "I might have known you wouldn't even make an effort on your first try." Miss Hardbroom sighed. The look Mildred was giving her was so pitiful. _The wretched girl._ "Why don't you start the paper with 'dear Miss Hardbroom' and end it with 'sincerely Mildred.'"

This advice produced a round of anxious answers.

 _Dear Miss Hardbroom,_

 _I'm scared I'll never get my voice back. I don't know what you want from me._

 _Sincerely Mildred_

"I want you to write an essay you incompetent girl!"

 _Dear Miss Hardbroom,_

 _Please don't yell at me. I'm already scared. I don't know how to do this. Help?_

 _Sincerely Mildred_

"Well, you can start by putting a comma after 'sincerely' and putting your name on the line below 'sincerely'."

 _Dear Miss Hardbroom,_

 _I'm really sorry I turned you into a cat. I didn't even know the spell would work. I didn't do any research, promise. I just sort of guessed at how to fix it. Because you're such a good teacher, really, it's improved my instincts so much that I could finish the spell! You should be proud of me! And I did turn you back, so everything's okay now, right?_

 _Sincerely,_

 _Mildred_

"Flattery will get you nowhere."

 _Dear Miss Hardbroom,_

 _Can you please stop burning the failed essays after I give them to you? What if I want to look at my drafts and see what progress I've made? What if one of the earlier drafts is better and I should build off of that one?_

 _Sincerely,_

 _Mildred_

"You are trying my patience. Do not make me turn you back into a frog."

 _Dear Miss Hardbroom,_

 _I'm really sorry. I don't know what to do._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Mildred_

Instead of burning this one, Miss Hardbroom crumpled it up and threw it at Mildred's feet. Mildred winced.

"Why don't you start by telling me why you found it necessary to turn me into a cat?"

 _Dear Miss Hardbroom,_

 _Because I don't know why I turned you into a cat._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Mildred_

Miss Hardbroom stared at Mildred for a long time. "Do not give me another draft, until you have spent at least an hour on it." Miss Hardbroom lifted her clock and started the timer.

Mildred looked at Miss Hardbroom helplessly.

"Begin. WORK, _girl._ "

Mildred put her eyes to her paper and slipped her eraser into her mouth.

"Don't do that!" Miss Hardbroom slammed her hand on the table. "Do you have any idea how many germs there are on an eraser?"

Mildred jumped and shook her head and looked very sorry.

Miss Hardbroom observed her reaction triumphantly, though her emotional expression was subtle as always. "Focus, please," she said gently. "I'll be here with you for as long as it takes."

Mildred looked at Miss Hardbroom curiously. There was something strange about what she just said, but Mildred wasn't sure what it was. Mildred almost put her eraser back into her mouth but stopped herself just in time. Shaking her head, Mildred bent over her paper.

When she was finished, more than an hour had gone by. Mildred reluctantly handed over her paper. She chewed on the end of her fingers as she watched Miss Hardbroom read it.

 _Dear Miss Hardbroom,_

 _I don't know why I turned you into a cat. Before you can yell at me that this isn't good enough, please read it all! Please?_

 _I'm not saying I don't know any of the reasons, I'm just saying I'm not sure why. I mean, I was missing my mum, I was upset you put me there to sort papers. I want to do better things, I want to be better!_

 _I hate that I feel like I'm always doing things wrong, and I hate that you hate me._

 _I know how to fix it. When Ethel turned me into a frog for a day, Miss Cackle turned her into a frog for two days. So maybe you could turn me into a cat for a while? A week even because you're a teacher, and what I did was really, really, really, bad. I'm sorry._

 _Please don't hate me anymore._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Mildred_

When Miss Hardbroom had finished reading she looked up at Mildred with an expression that Mildred could not read. She walked over to Mildred's chair, took Mildred's hand and pulled her to her feet. Then she hugged her.

Mildred let out a soundless gasp.

How had Miss Hardbroom known, her secret desire to be hugged by her?

Miss Hardbroom hugged her for what felt like an eternity. Mildred closed her eyes, never wanting to let her go.

"Mildred, I have never hated you. You must believe me."

Mildred realized tears were falling from her eyes, and she was shaking. But her cries were silent. She was still a soundless girl.

Hecate bent down, so she was at Mildred's level. "I want a real essay from you, but I think we should take a break, and have some food, alright?" Miss Hardbroom wiped the tears off of Mildred's cheeks. "Pippa should have something delicious for us. She will be disappointed that you are still unable to speak. I'm sure she wanted to talk to you over lunch. If I am being perfectly honest, Mildred, I don't mind you being silent."

Miss Hardbroom took Mildred's hand firmly in her own, and marched her to the dining hall. Mildred bowed her head. She was conflicted. Overall she decided she still felt pretty bad. She chewed on her lip and looked up at Hecate. What was she feeling?

Mildred attempted to read the sides of Miss Hardbroom's face that she could see. Annoyance, sadness, anger. But there was something else too. Something softer that Mildred couldn't quite place.

Pippa had laid out a platter with bread, cheese, lettuce, tomato, chips guacamole and salsa.

Mildred made her sandwich slowly, glad to have a task to occupy her hands for a little while. She dipped chips in guacamole and salsa, then put them in the center of her sandwich. She eyed Miss Hardbroom, hoping she would comment, but it seemed that the witch was pretending not to see. Mildred bit into the sandwich and it made a satisfying crunch. She was glad to at least be able to make _some_ noise.

Mildred guessed that the guacamole was magical. It seemed to give her confidence. Maybe Pippa had put something in the food to help her finish her essay! Eating relaxed her a bit, but her nerves returned when the conversation turned to magical punishments.

"When I was a girl my mum thought I was too energetic," Pippa said. "She would catch me running around the house and then spell me to bounce off the wall for an hour."

 _Bounce off the wall!_ Mildred wanted to say. _Did it hurt? Or was it actually fun?_

"If my father caught any of us misbehaving he would spell us all." Miss Hardbroom said. "A silencing charm and a charm to keep our fingers stuck together for a few months."

 _No magic for months!_ Mildred tried to say. _And how many siblings did you have? No wonder HB is so strict!_

Pippa caught Millie's eye and smiled. "I think we're scaring her, Hiccup."

"Well, maybe she should be scared." Miss Hardbroom said. " _Naughty witches_ would do well to remember that whatever magic they use against others can also be used against them."

Mildred squirmed in her chair. She stood up suddenly.

Miss Hardbroom's eyes and nostrils flared. "Sit back down this instant!" She slammed her hand on the table. "Did I say you were excused?"

Mildred hopped from foot to foot. This was so embarrassing. She looked to Pippa for help. She pointed behind herself, then she pantomimed sitting down, getting up, she added a flushing gesture, hoping it would make sense.

Pippa and Miss Hardbroom exchanged a confused glance.

Sighing, Mildred did the embarrassing gesture she knew they would understand. She crossed one leg over the other. _Please._ She mouthed. _Bathroom._

"Be back in ten minutes." Miss Hardbroom said.

Mildred ran from the room. She heard Pippa laughing on her way out.

Mildred went to the bathroom quickly. Afterwards, she didn't go back to the dining hall. Instead she went up to her room. Tabby happened to be curled up on the bed. He meowed questioningly when she started to pet him.

 _Oh, Tabby,_ Mildred thought. _I want to go home._

Mildred looked around her room. She imagined packing up her things, making the slow walk through Cackle's for the last time. Would Miss Hardbroom try to stop her if she left? Would she feel guilt, and sadness, that Mildred was going out into the world as a voiceless girl? Or, what if she just snapped her fingers and disappeared. She imagined Miss Hardbroom looking all over the castle, getting more and more worried. She imagined how sorry Miss Hardbroom would feel when she couldn't find her.

Miss Hardbroom appeared in the center of Mildred's room. "Making me use locater spells, are we?"

Mildred rested her head gently on Tabby's body and looked up at Miss Hardbroom with a small, soft smile.

Miss Hardbroom held out her hand. Mildred stood, sighed, and took it.

They appeared in the potions lab.

"Time for you to finish that essay, Mildred Hubble."

Mildred slumped over to her chair. Miss Hardbroom had made her cauldron disappear as punishment for making a potion to impersonate her. There was nothing to hide Mildred's face as she worked. There was a stack of fresh parchment on the table, three pencils and one pen.

Mildred picked up a piece of parchment, taking it off the stack and setting it directly on the table. This was where she had made her first levitation potion, back when Miss Hardbroom was trying her hardest to keep her out of the school. It occurred to her that Miss Hardbroom could just expel her and send her back to her mum instead of punishing her. What she had done was definitely grounds for expulsion. She hated writing a stupid essay, but she had to wonder why Miss Hardbroom was almost helping her.

 _Maybe she just enjoys torturing me so much,_ Mildred thought. _If I wasn't around she would miss it._

Mildred picked up a pencil. Her hand was getting sore from writing so much.

It took Mildred five hours to write a draft that Miss Hardbroom found acceptable enough to read all the way through to the end. Every forty minutes Miss Hardbroom would tell Mildred to get up and pace the room. She said it would help keep the ideas moving in her mind.

Miss Hardbroom handed it back with spelling and grammar corrections and a few leading questions for clarification. Mildred had never been happier to see an essay so marked up in her life! She was sure that after she fixed these mistakes Miss Hardbroom would have to give her her voice back.

"STOP!"

Mildred jumped, put her pencil down and looked at Miss Hardbroom pleadingly.

"You can finish after dinner."

Mildred shook her head and gestured wildly at the paper. She was so close. _Please Miss Hardbroom, please!_

Miss Hardbroom waved her hand and transported them both. Mildred landed uncomfortably in her chair in the dining hall. She sprang to her feet. _I was so close, so close!_ Mildred gestured at Pippa frantically, trying to make her understand.

"Mildred you are this close to losing your voice for the entire week." Miss Hardbroom said.

Mildred sat back down and glowered at the table. She pouted all through dinner, even though Pippa had made fettuccine alfredo and it tasted, really, really good.

When Miss Hardbroom said it was time to go back to her essay, Mildred brightened instantly. She had never been so happy to get back to writing, ever in her life.

Mildred bounced with excitement as she turned in her final result:

 _Dear Miss Hardbroom,_

 _"A witch does not whine when things don't go her way, a witch, makes things go her way," Hecate Hardbroom told Mildred Hubble during the start of her first year at Cackle's Academy. Miss Hardbroom taught Mildred lots of things while Mildred was there at Cackle's. Miss Hardbroom was really strict with her though. Mildred often felt bad, whined, and did not make things go her way. Today, Mildred Hubble wants to make things go everyone's way. Mildred made a big mistake, and she should be punished by being turned into a cat for three days, not a frog or a bird that cannot fly. Miss Hardbroom should forgive Mildred after this time, because Mildred is really sorry, and will be even more sorry after she has been a cat._

 _Mildred should be turned into a cat for three days, because she made a big mistake. Mildred turned Miss Hardbroom into a cat for a few reasons. One reason was that she found the spell and it looked fun. Another reason was that she missed her mum. Mildred also did not like the way Miss Hardbroom's actions towards her made her feel. Mildred should be turned into a cat so she can know what being one feels like, because that is how she made Miss Hardbroom feel._

 _Mildred should be forgiven by Miss Hardbroom because Mildred is already sorry, and will be even more sorry after she is a cat. Mildred is sorry that she hurt Miss Hardbroom. She is sorry she only gave her one can of sardines. She is sorry she left her there so long, locked up. She is sorry she made a potion to look like her and tricked Miss Pentangle._

 _After Ethel turned Mildred into a frog for a day, Miss Cackle turned Ethel into a frog for two days. The punishment was harsher than the action, but that is because Miss Cackle wanted to stop Ethel from doing that again. That is why Mildred should be turned into a cat for longer than she had turned Miss Hardbroom into one._

 _In conclusion, Mildred is really sorry and wants things to go everyone's way again. She wants Miss Hardbroom and Miss Pentangle to be happy again and she wants to be happy again too. She really wants to keep learning magic with them and is thankful for the time they spend with her._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Mildred Hubble_

When she had read it through twice, Miss Hardbroom stood. "This is, adequate work."

Mildred fist pumped with both her arms.

Miss Hardbroom waved her hand.

Mildred squealed. "I got my voice back, I got my voice back!" Mildred jumped up and down and danced in a circle.

"Yes, it seems you did." Miss Hardbroom struggled to look stern. "Is there anything you feel that you need to say before I turn you into a cat for three days?"

"Oh," Mildred lost her happy energy. "You're actually going to do that. It wasn't just, for the essay."

"Did you only come up with that idea for the essay? Did you only write what you wrote to get your voice back?" Miss Hardbroom said.

"No," Mildred said. "No, I meant it. I just, I'm worried is all. I don't want you to be mad at me anymore though." Mildred studied the floor. "I really am sorry I turned you into a cat, Miss Hardbroom."

"There are worse things to be." Miss Hardbroom said.

"Yeah, I guess so. Like a frog. A frog was a really unfair choice! What if Tabby had found me and eaten me? And frogs are all slimy."

"I guess you just don't know the extent to which I hate sardines, Mildred Hubble."

"Oh, I didn't know. I would have got you better food if I had. I just, wasn't thinking. I was afraid you would be mad at me because I didn't sort the papers really good. That's another reason I forgot about. Maybe that was even the main reason. Anyway, I'm glad you didn't expel me from Cackle's. I don't want to turn out like Agatha."

"You won't," Miss Hardbroom took Mildred's chin in her hand and lifted her face so she would look at her. "You are not like Agatha. You have a good heart, Mildred Hubble. Just like Pippa."

"Just like you?" Mildred asked.

"Maybe." Miss Hardbroom put her hands on Mildred's shoulders and transported them back to the scene of Mildred's crime.

"Am I going to be locked in here too?"

"Well, it does seem to be the safest place for you. If it could keep me contained, I'm sure it can keep you contained. If you get bored, you can work on finishing sorting those papers. Do you have any last words?"

Mildred threw her arms around Miss Hardbroom's waist. She nudged her head into her affectionately as if she already were a cat.

Miss Hardbroom stiffened in surprise then slowly returned the embrace.

"I'm going to miss you when I'm a cat, but I have to admit, I'm really curious to see what it's like."

"Don't worry Mildred, Pippa and I will be sure to bring you more food and water than you brought me."

With that, Miss Hardbroom waved her arms.

 _Did silencing spells help you learn how to do magic without speaking?_ Mildred was going to ask, but her question came out as a meow. She was a cat, instead of hugging Miss Hardbroom, she rubbed against her legs. Then Mildred scampered into the safety of the shadows before Miss Hardbroom could change her mind and turn her into a frog instead.

 **Author's Note:**

What are your thoughts on magical punishments? Let me know!


	7. Chapter 7: Cat Life

**Chapter Seven**

Pippa didn't like eating meals without Mildred. It seemed wrong to sit in the student dining hall, without a single student. It seemed even worse that the only student in the Academy was living out her three-day sentence as a cat. Hecate had let Pippa read Mildred's essay. Pippa admitted that she was surprised at Mildred's actions—it wasn't like the girl to get into mischief out of ill-intent.

"It's better for the girl this way," Hecate said. "The harsher the punishment, the less guilty she will feel. I don't want her to start to think that she is the kind of person who does things like this. She is not Ethel Hallow."

"Yes, but how do you think Ethel Hallow got the way that she is? Ethel most likely grew up with lots of magical punishment. Mildred didn't grow up with any. What if that's the reason she's so good-hearted?" Pippa said. "At Pentangles, we never use magic as punishment. It gives kids the wrong idea about magic. Magic is not to be used to harm, it is not to be used to hurt or to punish. It is to be used to make the world a better place."

"Mildred does not attend Pentangles. She chose to attend Cackles. Ada would never use magic in a cruel way—"

"She locked her sister in a painting!"

"She had no other choice."

"There is always a choice, Hiccup. And don't you see how it just escalates? Now it's a cat, but what will it be next? And if Mildred keeps misbehaving, will she end up in a painting too?"

"She should be expelled." Hecate said with a sigh. "But at this point it's too late. Mildred never should have entered the magical world. Now that she's here, I want to keep her under our protection."

"She would be protected at Pentangles."

"Her friends are at Cackles. She chose to stay when you offered her a scholarship."

"It is unlike you to consider her emotional wellbeing."

"It is not! It's exactly what I'm doing now! Being strict does not mean that I want to break the girl. Definitely not the way my parents and Broomhead broke me. Broke us, Pippa."

"I'm sorry, Hiccup. That was a low blow. I have to admit that I still am a little offended that she didn't accept my scholarship."

"I know," Miss Hardbroom rubbed Miss Pentangle's back soothingly. "But it was nothing against you, I can assure you that."

Saying the room where Mildred was contained was a mess was an understatement. Mildred had spent the days chasing dust bunnies and perfecting her jumping techniques. She fell many times and was sore from it, but she always got back up and tried again.

Miss Hardbroom would appear in the room three times a day, with food and water. Every time she did she would also look around at the mess stiffly, wave her hands and fix it. Mildred always made sure to make it _adequately_ messy again before Miss Hardbroom came back. Mildred was actually starting to enjoy being a cat. Miss Hardbroom didn't yell at her, no one called her the worst witch, and she could jump really high!

She even jumped up and grabbed Miss Hardbroom's watch between her paws once before Miss Hardbroom waved her hand and disappeared. The cool smooth surface of the watch felt good on her paws. But she wished that Miss Hardbroom had stayed longer. Miss Hardbroom's visits always felt too short.

There were only two small windows in the room, and it took a while to get her aim right so she could sit in them, and look out. But looking out the window made her feel sad. Imagining Enid and Maud in the sky on their broomsticks. Imagining her mum sun bathing on a beach somewhere with her boyfriend. So, she didn't spend too much time in the window, and instead would turn her attention back to her "work" messing the room for Miss Hardbroom.

Mildred assumed that Pippa had chosen the cat food, because it tasted really good. Pippa never visited though. Maybe Miss Hardbroom brought food from Pippa to make up for this.

On the last day of her imprisonment, Mildred hid in her favorite spot like she always did when Miss Hardbroom entered the room. "Mildred, it's time to come out, cat life is over."

Mildred crouched farther into the shadows.

"Mildred, don't make me use a summoning spell."

Mildred really wanted to jump one last time. She launched herself out from under the cabinet, and jumped up to the table beside Miss Hardbroom, sending papers flying.

HB sighed and Mildred purred and rubbed her hand affectionately. Miss Hardbroom scratched her behind the ears. "I guess all cats, even if they are really naughty girls disguised as cats, have a favorite itch."

Mildred agreed. There was a spot on her neck that her back legs couldn't reach very well, but Miss Hardbroom's long and agile fingers always seemed to find it, and it was the spot that itched the most.

Miss Hardbroom waved her free hand and Mildred became a girl again.

"Mmm, that feels good Miss Hardbroom—oh! I'm me again!" Mildred jumped off the table and threw her arms around Miss Hardbroom, who was starting to get better at predicting when the girl would attack her with a hug.

"That part of my neck still really itches," Mildred said, pulling away from the hug to scratch her neck. "It's much easier to get with hands though. You won't believe the awesome things I did as a cat! Though they seem a bit less awesome now that I'm human again. This place really feels like my territory now. I've scratched every wall that had the scents of cats that came before. A lot of cats have been in this room Miss Hardbroom! How many of them do you think were students? Do you think I could be the first? I doubt it. This place is old. How old is Cackle's anyway? I should know, but I don't. Do you know?"

"Maybe you can write out a list. Your top ten questions. Then I can start answering them while you clean out cauldrons today."

"Oh, Miss Hardbroom am I still being punished?"

"Your punishment for turning me into a cat is over and you have been...forgiven. However, you still need to be punished for impersonating me. If you want your cauldron back, you are going to have to work for it."

"Yes, Miss Hardbroom. I'm just really glad I can talk again. You won't use a silencing spell on me again, will you, Miss Hardbroom?"

"We'll see. Pippa is against it but—"

"Wait Miss Hardbroom!" Mildred interrupted, tugging on her arm and jumping up and down. "I forgot to ask, is that how you got so good at casting spells without saying anything? Because you got punished with silencing spells?"

"No, not exactly." Miss Hardbroom waved her hands and they were in the potions lab. "I was taught to be disciplined. This helped me control my magic. I hope it will help you control yours." Miss Hardbroom waved her hand and all of the cauldrons in the room became covered in a neon color changing slime. "You will clean these cauldrons out without any magic. When they are spotless, we can talk about your cauldron, and the new rules you will be following regarding using it."

Mildred groaned, but she quickly went over to the cauldrons. Maybe life would be better if her and HB were both cats instead of witches.


	8. Chapter 8: America Sucks

**Chapter Eight**

When Mildred was done cleaning out cauldrons, Pippa appeared in the potions lab to welcome her back.

"She's covered in slime," Hecate warned before Pippa hugged her. Miss Hardbroom waved her hand and Mildred was clean again.

Pippa hugged Mildred tightly, and Mildred hugged her back.

"I'm so glad you're you again," Pippa said.

"I'm glad Miss Hardbroom didn't turn me into a frog again. But with all that slime on me from cleaning the cauldrons, I guess I kind of felt like one again anyway." The slime hadn't just been color changing. It had practically attacked her as she tried to clean the cauldrons.

"Come here, Hecate." Pippa said.

Miss Hardbroom reluctantly obeyed and Pippa pulled them into a three-person hug.

Mildred suddenly felt powerful. To be embraced by two strong witches, to be the center between them. "Come on, Mommy and Mom," Mildred joked, taking both of their hands and pulling them towards the dining hall. "Aren't you hungry? Mommy and Mom are what they call parents in America. Instead of mum. I already have a Mum, but I guess you're my magic mothers for the summer."

Mildred was so excited to finally be eating and talking at the same time that she sat down at the table without noticing Miss Hardbroom and Miss Pentangle exchange a serious look.

Miss Pentangle sat down lightly at the table and began telling Mildred about all of the spells the third years would be learning at Pentangles. She hoped she could teach Mildred the best of those this summer.

"As long as she behaves herself there should be plenty of time for that." Miss Hardbroom said.

"Mom, I think I would have more time to learn magic if you didn't make me sort papers. I think that I've spent enough time in that room so—"

"Don't call me that," Miss Hardbroom snapped.

Mildred's face fell, darkening like a shadow was passing over it, predicting rain.

"We're not in America," Miss Hardbroom said in a lighter tone, trying to make her reaction seem friendlier.

"Yeah, America sucks." Mildred said, trying to smile. She frowned as she turned back to her food. She could be so impulsive sometimes. Was it really wrong that she had called Pippa and Hecate Mommy and Mom? She just wanted them all to have inside jokes and be like a family. She suddenly missed Enid and Maud intensely.

It was an understatement to say that Hecate Hardbroom liked her privacy. Which was why her and Pippa had separate sleeping quarters. That night, they slept together.

"When will we tell her, Hecate?"

"I suppose there's no better time than tomorrow morning."

"What if she's not ready?"

"Then I suppose we will be getting rid of her sooner than planned."

Pippa sighed. "I'm usually against using magic on Mildred, but I think this time she needs to be restrained. It wouldn't do for her to turn us both into toads."

"Why don't you spell a teddy bear and give it to her?" Hecate said. "She can hold onto it while we tell her."

"Good idea."

Hecate kissed Pippa on the forehead. "Good night, Pipsqueak." She rubbed her back soothingly. "Sleep. Stop your worrying, and sleep."

Hecate and Pippa held onto each other tightly, and drifted towards dreams together, as if they were falling through the sky, each of their bodies half of a parachute, but who was it that they were protecting? Who was it that they were keeping from breaking when they hit the ground?

When Mildred Hubble opened her eyes she thought that she was still dreaming. Both Miss Pentangle and Miss Hardbroom were sitting on the edge of her bed. And Miss Hardbroom was holding a pink tinged teddy bear!

Miss Hardbroom passed her the stuff animal. "For me?" Mildred said as she took it.

"Yes, you silly girl." Miss Hardbroom said.

Mildred held onto it tightly, wrapping her arms around it in a hug.

"We thought we'd get you a gift." Miss Hardbroom said.

"It's wonderful!" Mildred said. "But why?"

"Mildred, we have something we need to tell you," Miss Pentangle said. "Well, it's really Hecate who will be doing the talking, mostly. I'm just hear for her support."

"What's going on?" Mildred said looking between them both. "Is someone dead?"

"No, Mildred," Hecate said. "No one is dead."

"Whatever it is it must be bad if you're not making fun of me for asking stupid questions!"

"Can I use a silencing charm on her, Pipsqueak?"

"No, Hecate."

Mildred rested her chin on the stuffed animal's head in embarrassment.

"I was only joking, Mildred." Miss Hardbroom's voice was strangely soft.

Miss Hardbroom touched her shoulder and Mildred looked up in surprise. What did Miss Hardbroom want from her? Why was she being nice?

"Do you know why I had you sorting papers?" Miss Hardbroom asked.

Mildred shook her head. "I mean...discipline."

"Pippa and I used to sort papers together in detention, back when we were in school. For a while we were searching for something...and one day we found," Miss Hardbroom coughed. "The answer, we were looking for."

"I...don't understand." Mildred tilted her head at Miss Hardbroom. "Did you ever turn your teacher into a cat?"

"No, Mildred, I did not." Miss Hardbroom said. "My closest teacher, my mentor, Ms. Broomhead, died recently."

Mildred felt something strange in HB's voice, and realized it almost sounded like she was nervous.

"I told your Mum, about this before she agreed to send you here for the summer. I told her something about you which I suspected when I first met you, but only confirmed after Ada decided to accept you into the school. Something that put you in danger when Ms. Broomhead was alive. The danger has lessened, considerably with her death, but is still present. Pippa and I decided that if you are to stay in the magical world, it is best for you to know. For your safety, you have to be prepared for who might come after you. It all started, Mildred, when me and Pippa were sorting papers, can you believe that?"

Mildred took Miss Hardbroom's hand with one of her own, and she took Miss Pentangle's hand with the other. She put the two powerful witches' hands together, patted them, smiled, then hugged her bear tightly.

"Did you hope I would find something in the papers I was sorting?" Mildred asked. "Something about the danger? Was I supposed to attract it like a magnet?"

Pippa laughed. "Hecate, I don't think Mildred has the slightest idea what you are trying to tell her. Millie, the idea we found in the papers was not the beginning of the danger. It was the beginning of _you._ "

"Yes," Miss Hardbroom said. "Though the danger came shortly after. When Ms. Broomhead found out. That paper that Pippa and I found. It was a student trying to complete a project. I never thought I could complete it. I kept the paper for many years to remind me of detention with Pippa. Fourteen years ago, everything about that paper changed. It was no longer just an idea. To understand what happened, you have to understand that the Witching World has changed considerably in the past decade. When Pippa and I were together, the same laws preventing us from getting married, also prevented us from adopting children. The idea on the paper was the spark Pippa and I used to create you."

Miss Hardbroom placed a hand on Mildred's shoulder, steadying her. Mildred's senses sharpened. Then fuzzed, then sharpened again.

"Mildred, you are Pippa and I's biological daughter. Together, Pippa and I created a spell that would allow two women to create a child. Her DNA, combined with mine, and no one else's. I carried you for eight months, instead of nine. Perhaps magical babies have a slightly different timeline for growth and development. You are the first known child made by magic. You were made by so much more than that. You were made by love, by the essence of Pippa and I. When Ms. Broomhead discovered I was pregnant, when she discovered the spell—"

Mildred watched as Miss Hardbroom sobbed, and Pippa rubbed her shoulder. "It's okay, Hecate," Pippa murmured. "It's going to be okay. Ms. Broomhead is gone. Mildred is here now. We're all together again. Just like it was always meant to be."

Mildred felt very cold, and alone. She felt like there was invisible glass between her and her biological parents, separating her from breathing the same air as them. Mildred's eyes were wide open, as though her lids had been taped to the glass. She, the zoo animal, her parents, the emotional visitors. _Why do they trap the animals in the zoo?_ Mildred thought she heard Miss Hardbroom say that as she sobbed, but that couldn't be right. The yellow and the gold in the room were zooming towards her. Mildred rolled over onto her side, clutching a magic teddy bear, and fell into a dream where there was nothing but gravity.


	9. Chapter 9: Wildling

**Chapter Nine**

"I think that teddy bear was too strong." Pippa's voice.

"Hush." Miss Hardbroom. "Her reaction was not the worst reaction. I was definitely prepared for something more disastrous."

"Don't get too relaxed yet, Hiccup. We have no idea what she'll do when she wakes up." Pippa.

Mildred opened her eyes to the faces of Miss Hardbroom and Miss Pentangle looming over her. They each held one of her hands and rubbed one of her shoulders. Wiped the hair back from half of her face. As if her body was divided between them.

"Does that mean, I'm not a real human?" Mildred asked groggily.

"No," Pippa said. "The magic only bound Hecate's and my eggs together. You grew from there."

"But did you have to change your...yourself in the process?"

"No, my anatomy didn't change." Pippa said. "Not even during the process. The magic simply took my egg and transported it to Hecate's, where it underwent the changes necessary for it to merge with Hecate's egg."

"I think I ask too many questions," Mildred said. She noticed she was shaking.

"Ms. Broomhead, thought you were an abomination," Miss Hardbroom said. "She wanted to kill you. I went into hiding. After you were born, I gave you up for adoption. I sent you to the non-magical world, where you would be safe. I put a spell on you so that whoever adopted you would forget that they had adopted you, and would believe that you were their biological child."

"So my mum never lied to me! She thought I was her biological daughter all along!"

"That is correct," Miss Hardbroom said.

"But wait, what about Mirabelle Hubble? The founding stone?"

"I put her on your family tree." Miss Hardbroom said. "I made her up. I had no idea that the Hallows were collectively going to ruin the founding stone, that she would actually end up being useful. When you landed on the founding stone I was inspired to put Mirabelle on your tree, because I wanted you to feel like you belonged. I knew how to fix the stone because it was one of Ms. Broomhead's ancestors who fixed the founding stone of the school I went to when I was a girl."

"So you've lied to me, all this time?" Mildred said. "You've made me feel like an idiot!"

Miss Hardbroom sighed. "You have no idea how terrible Ms. Broomhead can be. No one but me knew that you were my daughter until she was dead. It could not be any other way. I'm sorry, Mildred."

Mildred wrenched herself free of the holds of the two witches. She pulled the blankets up and got out of the bed. She looked Miss Hardbroom straight in the eyes. "I want to mirror my mum."

"Very well," Miss Hardbroom waved her fingers and Mildred found herself in the mirror room.

When Julie Hubble's face appeared, she was putting on sunscreen. A white line crossed her forehead, and there were white dots on her cheeks. She immediately abandoned the sunscreen when she saw Mildred's face. "Oh no, Millie. They've told you."

Mildred nodded, pressing her lips together. Tears were falling from her eyes. "I'm not a witch! I'm an abomination!"

"No, you're not. You're my daughter, this doesn't change anything between us."

"Mum, why didn't you tell me after you knew?"

"I couldn't, love. Hecate needed to be the one to tell you. It's best for it to be this way. This thing that happened, it is in the past, but it is still between you and her. She told me you were in danger, Millie, because of it all. That she can help protect you and teach you how to protect yourself."

"But what if Ms. Broomhead is right! I'm the worst witch in the school! Disaster follows me everywhere! And now I know why!"

"No, Mildred. You were never the worst witch. You were always the best one. The one with the best heart. You've saved Cackle's so many times I've lost count."

"HB hates me! I'm her fucking kid and she hates me!"

"I don't hate you, Millie. No matter what. I will always love you."

"I'm sorry, Mum. When you said you wanted to go on vacation with your boyfriend this summer, I just wanted you to be happy, like you wanted me to be happy when I wanted to go to Cackle's. But how could you lie to me? If you don't want to be my mum anymore because of what I am, why couldn't you just say?"

Mildred turned and stormed from the room.

"Mille, wait! Millie I—"

Mildred slammed the door behind her. She thought she heard the mirror shatter. Mildred raced down the hall. She ran into something tall and sturdy and fell on her back.

HB peered down at her. "There is no running in the halls, Mildred Hubble. You know that."

"I hate you!" Mildred screamed. She beat her skinny arms and legs on the stone ground. "I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!"

Miss Hardbroom scooped her into her arms. Mildred kicked her and hit her and bit her shoulder. Miss Hardbroom only made a noise after the first blow. After that, she carried the fighting girl calmly back up to her room.

"It's going to be okay, Mildred." Miss Hardbroom stroked her hair, her voice murmuring in the wild magical girl's ear. "I promise. I never break my promises."


	10. Chapter 10: Wretched Girl

**Chapter Ten**

Hecate had managed to repair the mirror that Mildred had broken. Her and Pippa stood before it, a Julie who still had sunscreen spots on her face standing on the other side.

"I'm really thankful Ms. Pentangle, that you gave me such a long vacation, but I need to come home now. I need to be with Millie. She has to know I still want her." Julie Hubble said.

Miss Hardbroom snapped her fingers. Julie Hubble's face disappeared from the mirror. She reappeared on the other side of it, standing before Miss Hardbroom and Miss Pentangle.

"Please don't tell Mildred it was me who financed the vacation," Miss Pentangle said. "She's upset enough as it is."

"Where is she?" Julie Hubble said.

Miss Hardbroom waved her hand. The three of them transferred into Mildred's room. Mildred was unconscious on the bed, her hands gripping the sheets near her face, her expression frozen in one of discomfort. Pippa and Hecate had given her a potion to knock her out and stop her fit while they mirrored her mother.

"You drugged her?" Julie Hubble rushed to Mildred's side and touched her shoulder.

Mildred awoke instantly, as if Julie Hubble herself was the antidote.

Tears fell from Mildred's eyes and she kicked her legs a little. She looked like she was going to start screaming again, but then she saw her mother. "Mum, you're here." She threw her arms around her mother.

Julie Hubble hugged her back. "Of course I'm here. I'll always be here when you need me. Vacation be damned, I'm coming home early!"

"No." Mildred sat back, fiddling with her hands on her lap. "I meant it when I said I wanted you to be happy. I don't want to keep you from that. I was just afraid you were going to, going to leave me for good."

Julie wrapped her arms around her daughter again and Mildred started crying.

"Oh, Millie," Julie held her and rubbed her back. "I'm right here, Millie. I'm not going to leave you. I love you, I love you, I love you."

Hecate turned abruptly to leave the room.

"Hiccup, wait!" Pippa touched her shoulder. Hecate brushed past her. Pippa cast a look at Millie and her mother bonding, before deciding that she could probably leave them alone for a little while without Mildred blowing up the room.

Pippa ran after her lover.

"I'm sorry Pipsqueak," Hecate said. "I was having trouble containing myself."

Hecate broke down in sobs. Pippa pulled her into her arms. "Shhh," she said. "It's alright, Hecate. I'm here. We are going to figure this out, together."

It didn't take long for Mildred to calm down in the presence of her mother. "Mum, I think I really hurt Miss Hardbroom's feelings. I'm really upset with her, but I want her to know I don't hate her either."

"I think she knows, Millie. Don't worry."

"I want to do this special training. And I _don't_ want to pull you away from your boyfriend. But do you think you could come home, maybe one week early?"

"I'll come home two weeks early."

"Thanks, Mum."

Miss Hardbroom returned to the room, but Miss Pentangle was not with her.

"Are you ready, Millie?" Julie asked.

"Yeah," Mildred said. "You better get back before Bob notices."

"Hey," Julie said, poking her nose gently. "You know very well that his name is Carl."

Mildred giggled. She found her mum's boyfriend to be nice, but terribly bland, so she had started calling him Bob behind his back.

They hugged one last time and then Julie Hubble stood. "I love you. Bye, Millie."

"I love you too. Bye, Mum."

Miss Hardbroom let them share their last long glance, then Julie Hubble nodded at her. Miss Hardbroom waved her hand and Julie Hubble was gone.

Mildred felt the room grow colder as she was left alone with only Miss Hardbroom.

Mildred looked at her hands sheepishly. "I'm sorry I reacted that way. I was just afraid my mum didn't want me anymore. I'm sorry I broke the mirror, and hurt you. You must be really disappointed."

Miss Hardbroom carefully crossed the room and sat on the edge of Mildred's bed. "Actually, Mildred, I confess that it could have gone worse. Pippa was afraid you would turn us into toads."

Mildred studied Miss Hardbroom's face. Then she laughed. Laughter felt good on a face that was sore from so many tears.

Miss Hardbroom gave a small smile. "I'm very glad, that Julie Hubble is your mother, Mildred. I would never try to take you from her."

Mildred nodded and looked down at the blankets shyly. She felt quite idiotic now that the worst of it seemed to be all over, at least for a little while. There was something oppressively comforting about Miss Hardbroom's voice. It made her wish to hear it more, but it also made her afraid to. It made her squirm, but at the same time it also made her feel held down by something sturdy, and safe.

"I know that now. I, I'm not unhappy to be here. I like you and Miss Pentangle." Mildred blurted the last part out. She looked at Miss Hardbroom with a little bit of fear gleaming in her eyes. "I don't hate you."

"I'm glad, Mildred. I like having you here, Mildred. And..." Miss Hardbroom paused. She looked down at her lap, then looked at Mildred again. "I love you Mildred. I always have, and I always will."

New tears were falling down Mildred's face now. "You can never have too many mothers," Mildred found herself saying.

"Oh, come here you wretched girl." Miss Hardbroom pulled Mildred into a hug unlike any other Mildred had felt from her, despite the recent development this summer of them hugging.

Miss Hardbroom's body felt softer than it ever had before. Mildred felt an expulsion of warmth, love, happiness. She couldn't quite believe it.

"I think it's really awesome," Mildred whispered. "That your like, well, in America, they would say that your like, well, my mom. I already have a mum though. But, Miss Hardbroom, if you want, you can be my mom. But only for the summer though. It'd be weird to call you mom during the school year! I'm a magic daughter, but you're a magic mom."


	11. Chapter 11: Art Class

**Chapter Eleven**

Miss Hardbroom did not want to ruin the moment, or Mildred's possibly only temporary good mood, by explaining to her that she did not want her to call her mom. Their relationship had been changed drastically by Ms. Broomhead's death, but Miss Hardbroom still needed to keep a certain distance from the girl. For her physical safety, but for her psychological safety as well. Mildred would most likely want to stay at Cackle's with her friends. It would be best then, for her to maintain a little distance from Mildred. It would be best if Mildred continued to see her as a teacher figure, instead of a maternal figure.

Miss Hardbroom didn't think she could bear having Mildred call her "mom" all summer, only to have that title ripped away when the school year started up again. She wasn't just going to keep boundaries in place for Mildred's wellbeing, but for her own sanity as well.

There was also the matter of keeping this all a secret. Members of Ms. Broomhead's coven might come after Mildred if they found out who she was. Miss Hardbroom had decided that Mildred's risk of being pursued by them, considering her track record with attracting the attention of nasty powerful witches like Agatha, was high enough that Mildred should know who she was and be prepared to defend herself. Still, having an entire school buzzing with the news that Miss Hardbroom had a magic daughter would put them all in immediate danger.

Miss Hardbroom had made a secrecy potion for Mildred to take at the end of the summer. It was technically against the witches' code, but it would keep Mildred from telling anyone that Miss Hardbroom and Miss Pentangle were her biological parents, and so it would keep her safe. Miss Hardbroom decided she might give Mildred the potion sooner rather than later, in case she snuck off and mirrored her friends. Mildred was, after all, proving to be even more of a mischief maker than she had been in her first two years of school. Mildred, unlike the other children, had magic from both sides of her family instead of just one, because both of her parents were witches. It seemed that Mildred was more powerful than the other children, but also struggled much more to contain her magic, and even her emotions. The changes she was going through as a teenager, the emotional changes and the magical changes would overlap. Miss Hardbroom would have to find a way to keep Mildred from blowing up the school in her third year and getting kicked out. Miss Hardbroom felt strongly that Mildred was safest under her care. Ada did not know the truth about Mildred. She did not know why it was so important Miss Hardbroom kept her around no matter what, and why it had once been so important that she return her to the non-magical world despite the cost on her and Mildred's hearts.

Perhaps Mildred would still be safer in the non-magical world. Hecate wasn't sure that her reasoning that Mildred should stay was entirely logical. If she was being very honest with herself, the girl might still be safest in the non-magical world, even now, but she just couldn't let her go again.

"Miss Hardbroom?" Mildred asked. "Where did Ms. Pentangle go? Is she really upset with me?"

"I confess that she is a little upset." Miss Hardbroom said. "She's gone to make us food. Cooking is a comfort to her."

Mildred sighed. "Do either of you like drawing? I wonder where I get that from."

"You can get some things from yourself you know." Miss Hardbroom said. "My mother, actually, secretly was an artist. I found some of her paintings once. And her sketchbooks. She would spell her paintings to move. Do you want me to show you how?"

Mildred nodded and Miss Hardbroom summoned her sketchbook. "You have to choose a sketch you know well. When you cast the spell, you must imagine what you want the sketch to look like as it moves."

Mildred suddenly felt uncomfortable with Miss Hardbroom flipping through her sketchbook. "Can I see it and choose one?" Mildred said anxiously.

Miss Hardbroom looked up at her, paused, then handed Mildred the sketchbook. She had seen many of the sketches Mildred made of her. A few were not flattering, and looked to have been drawn in a hurry when Mildred was angry. But most of them paid careful attention to detail, in a way that struck Miss Hardbroom deeply, right in the heart when she thought about the time and effort Mildred had taken, slowly drawing the lines, imagining her own face, drawing and redrawing. The entire time, she had not known that the curves of the face that so intrigued her were related to her own.

"Maybe I'll draw a new one." Mildred glanced up at Miss Hardbroom and gave a little smile. "How much time do I have?"

"Take all the time that you need." Miss Hardbroom said. Then she looked down at her clock. "But not more than two hours."

Mildred grinned. "Okay."

The final result of her work and Miss Hardbroom's help with the spells, was an image of her standing between Miss Hardbroom and Miss Pentangle. It was magicked so that her head moved to look up at both of them, and their faces moved to smile down at her. In the background, a colorful American flag waved. 'My American Parents' Mildred had written at the bottom of the page along with the date. 'by Mildred Hubble with help from HB.'

Miss Hardbroom was speechless with emotion for a few moments as she gazed down on their creation. She pulled Mildred into a side hug and kissed her on the forehead. "It's wonderful, dear. Do you want to show Pippa?"

Mildred nodded vigorously.

"Alright. Get dressed and come down to the dining hall." With that Miss Hardbroom disappeared.

She reappeared before Pippa.

Pippa was stirring a spaghetti sauce on the stove. "How's the little drama queen?" Pippa asked.

"Much better," Miss Hardbroom mused. "But she won't be if she figures out the worst part of the story. Even after all this time. Us being together. People finding out what I am, what you are, it puts you and I in danger but it puts her in danger as well."

"Let the haters come," Pippa said. "It would be a good excuse to pay someone back for what they've taken from us, wouldn't it?"

Miss Hardbroom said nothing. She and Pippa had decided not to tell Mildred how they had broken up before Mildred was even born. How Miss Hardbroom had been staying with another women, who Broomhead had killed, assuming that she was Mildred's other mother. After that Miss Hardbroom had given Pippa forgetting powder so that she would not remember that they had conceived a child together. The powder had even made Pippa forget the months they had been dating, how they had reunited and overcome their feud from their school years. Miss Hardbroom wanted to make sure that Broomhead could never discover that Pippa was really her child's other mother.

Miss Hardbroom had then found a gay wizard to live with, and joined a powerful coven to hide in under a different name. If the coven that had been protecting her had discovered what the being inside of her really was, they would most likely have killed her as well. She had told them that she had fled an abusive relationship with a wizard, and needed to go into hiding so he did not come after her and try to harm her or her child.

When Ms. Mould had fixed the founding stone, saving Mildred from sacrificing her powers, Miss Hardbroom had wondered if Ms. Mould had any connections to Broomhead. Ms. Mould had told Miss Hardbroom that Broomhead was dead. Miss Hardbroom had stewed over the news for a while before finally deciding to tell Pippa the truth, and ask for her opinion and guidance.

Miss Hardbroom had used remembering powder on Pippa, but because the memories Pippa had forgotten were fourteen years old, Pippa was only able to partially recover her memory. Even though the memories were fuzzy, Pippa was able to see enough to know that Miss Hardbroom wasn't lying to her. Still, though she was delighted to be related to Mildred, she felt that she was more Hecate's daughter than her own. Hecate had gone through all of the pain of losing her, and protecting her, and then trying to lose and protect her again during Mildred's first two years of school, whilst Pippa had lived the fourteen years believing that she had never made a child with anyone before. Pippa would be in Mildred's life as much as the girl wanted her to be, but Pippa knew that she would never face the torment and pain that Hecate had faced these past fourteen years. Hecate had spared her that by making her forget.

"Try this," Pippa said, dipping her finger in the sauce for Hecate to lick off.

"You always use the freshest tomatoes," Hecate said.

"I do," Pippa said. "All for you."

"You really believe Mildred won't get hurt in any of this," Hecate's voice faltered.

"You've always underestimated her," Pippa said. "When they come, Mildred is the least likely one to get hurt. She's young, and strong, and brave. And she's got magic from both of us. We're the two best people to teach her how to control it. What could possibly go wrong?"


	12. Chapter 12: My Mom

**Chapter Twelve**

Mildred had her hands held out over the potion. "I still don't understand why you don't just trust me to keep it a secret."

"It's not that we don't _trust_ you," Hecate said. "We just don't want anyone to be able to take the information out of you."

"Besides," Pippa said. "If you really don't want to tell anyone, what's the harm in the potion anyway?"

"I do want to tell people." Mildred said. "I mean, I do wish I could tell Maud and Enid. But I _wouldn't_ tell anyone. Even without this stupid potion. I'd never put either of you in danger."

Miss Hardbroom touched Mildred's shoulder. She took one of her hands, and Pippa took the other. "Repeat after me," Miss Hardbroom said. "I swear not to tell anyone that Mildred Hubble is a magical child and Pippa Pentangle and Hecate Hardbroom are her birth parents. This agreement is binding until Mildred Hubble has come of age."

Pippa repeated the words. The liquid in the cauldron bubbled up and splashed onto their arms.

Mildred repeated the words grudgingly. The liquid in the cauldron bubbled up and splashed them again.

"Good," Miss Hardbroom said. With her free hand, she ladled the potion into three glasses. Both of Mildred's arms were occupied, so she magicked the glass to fly up to her daughter's lips. She sent the other glass Pippa's way. Pippa and her lifted their glasses to drink with their free hand, and Mildred's glass tipped up for her to drink.

All three of them made disgusted faces as the liquid went down, even Miss Hardbroom.

Finally they lowered their clasped arms. Mildred suddenly tugged both of her biological parents forward. She pulled them into a quick hug. "Love you both," she said, then scampered off before either could respond.

"Mildred, no running in the halls!" Miss Hardbroom called after her.

She disappeared and reappeared in front of Mildred, stopping her in her tracks.

Mildred shrieked and ran around her. "Come and catch me!" She called.

Miss Hardbroom appeared in front of her again. Just as she was reaching out her arms to grab the girl, Mildred snapped her fingers and disappeared.

Miss Hardbroom used a locater spell to find the girl, and when she did Mildred snapped her fingers and disappeared again. This continued for 31 minutes, until Mildred got tired and allowed herself to be captured in Miss Hardbroom's embrace.

Miss Hardbroom tickled her and Mildred giggled and gasped for air. "Oh my wizard! Stop!"

Miss Hardbroom finally released her.

Mildred wiped the sweat off her forehead, panting. Her eyes were gleaming, and her face was flushed.

"Your transport spells are improving," Miss Hardbroom said fondly.

"Thanks," Mildred said bashfully, an adorable grin on her face. "Maybe someday they'll be as good as yours. I'm really glad you're my—" Mildred's tongue caught in the roof of her mouth. "My, my, my, why won't it let me say it?" Mildred stomped her foot.

Hecate touched her cheek gently. "It's for the best, Millie," she said softly. "For what it's worth, I'm very glad to have you here with us, Mildred Hubble."

She touched Mildred's nose and Mildred couldn't help but smile. Hecate straightened up. Pippa must be wearing off on her. But she couldn't afford to go completely soft. Not now, when they had so much work to do. All she wanted right now was to wrap the girl in her protective arms and live out all of those years she missed, together. A large part of her recognized this wouldn't be for the best. Mildred had become the wonderful witch she was because her mother, Julie Hubble, knew how to teach emotional awareness. Miss Hardbroom would forever feel in Julie Hubble's debt, for giving their daughter something she feared she never could.

Miss Hardbroom could give her magical competence though. Perhaps even excellence. If she achieved this, she could keep her safe.

Mildred's training began in the dining hall, where she had saved them all from Agatha on her first day at Cackle's. Miss Hardbroom magicked the tables and chairs away, and stood facing Mildred, a considerable distance between them, as if they were enemies.

"The first thing I want you to learn, is a simple shield spell," Miss Hardbroom held up her hands, and a circle emanated from them, swirling with white light.

Mildred imitated the motion, her face scrunched in concentration. A spark flew from her hands, but nothing else. Mildred kept trying, but quickly tired. "Miss Hardbroom, I don't think I can do it."

"You can. You just need to relax. The first one you create is the most difficult, after that it will come more naturally."

Mildred was surprised that Miss Hardbroom had given her advice without insulting her. She relaxed a little. Maybe this training wouldn't be as bad as she had worried it would be.

It felt like water was rising from Mildred's stomach and slipping through her fingers. The small protection circle appeared in her hands. "I did it!" The shield only lasted a few moments then disappeared.

"Very good," Miss Hardbroom said. "Now do it again."

As soon as Mildred reconstructed the shield Miss Hardbroom sent a spell flying at her. The shield absorbed the spell and Mildred stumbled back. "Ow!" Even though the spell hadn't harmed her, the shield had given her fingers a little shock as it disappeared.

Miss Hardbroom sent another spell her way and Mildred was knocked flat on her back.

Miss Hardbroom strode towards her. "Get up."

"But," Mildred panted. "Miss Hardbroom, I'm really. I'm tired, I don't think I can do anymore."

Miss Hardbroom loomed over her. "Do you think Ms. Broomhead's followers will care if you are tired?"

Mildred pulled her head off the ground and scrambled backward, using her arms and legs to cross the floor.

Miss Hardbroom twisted her hand and Mildred turned into a mouse.

Mildred squealed. She twisted around, rolled over so she was on her feet instead of her back, and ran for it, seeking cover in the wall. Before she could get away, Miss Hardbroom waved her hand again and Mildred became a girl again.

Mildred lay on her stomach on the floor. She crossed her arms and buried her face in them, trying not to cry.

"Mildred, a fight for your life will not be easy. You will be afraid. You will be tired. You will most likely even be unprepared. Part of this training will be to teach you how to push through when you are not sure what to do, and when you feel as though you cannot carry on. Why don't you get up now. Pippa will continue your training in the kitchens."

Mildred stood and met Miss Hardbroom's eyes. Her face was red. She wanted Miss Hardbroom to comfort her, but she didn't. Miss Hardbroom observed her coldly.

"I can go now?" Mildred's voice was higher than she would like it to be.

Miss Hardbroom nodded. "You may."

Mildred snapped her fingers, and appeared in the kitchen where Pippa was making soup.

"So what are you going to teach me?"

Pippa was in the middle of throwing ingredients into the large pot. "Cooking! Do you like to cook Mildred? Have you ever cooked with the help of magic?"

"But how does this help me with my training?"

"Well, if you're ever alone or feeling down, you can make yourself food that will cheer you up!"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Miss Hardbroom wants you to have something fun to do so you can relax after training."

"Really? Miss Hardbroom wants that?"

"I think we both also just want to spend time with you. I'll enjoy teaching you my recipes, come on."

Mildred wiped at her face, sniffed, smiled a little, then walked closer to the pot. "So, what did you put into the soup this time?"


	13. Chapter 13: Paper Plans

**Chapter Thirteen**

Each day, Mildred's simple shield spell got a little stronger. Miss Hardbroom was relentless. Each time they dueled, she sent spells her way until Mildred was out cold or had been turned into an animal. Mildred was so exhausted most of the time that she would cut her fingers while cooking and need Pippa to help heal them, or put the wrong amount of ingredients in the food. Pippa was sympathetic, but Miss Hardbroom was firm. Mildred needed to learn to be safe.

Mildred sat up in her bed one night, long after Miss Hardbroom had told her it was lights out. Tabby was curled up between her legs. "I'm so tired but I can't even sleep!" She told him. "I wish I was more powerful, like Miss Hardbroom."

An idea came to her. She snapped her fingers and appeared outside of Miss Hardbroom's room. Slowly and carefully, she opened the door and peered inside.

Miss Hardbroom was on her bed holding a book. "Mildred!" Miss Hardbroom said before Mildred could close the door.

Mildred had the impulse to run, but Miss Hardbroom moved her fingers and Mildred felt herself being tugged into the room by magic. The door closed behind her.

"You startled me," Miss Hardbroom said. "I'm not used to people being able to enter my room. What is it, dear?" Miss Hardbroom had used blood magic to secure her room. Only someone related to her could get inside without her permission.

Mildred was surprised that HB wasn't yelling at her. Mildred had expected Miss Hardbroom to be asleep. "Oh, nothing...I just, couldn't sleep."

"Come here."

Mildred couldn't really hide her eagerness to be closer to the witch. She climbed onto the bed and Miss Hardbroom put an arm around her. Mildred rested her head on the powerful witch's shoulder. "What were you reading?" Mildred asked, feeling happy yet shy.

Miss Hardbroom held up the book so Mildred could see the cover.

"Dueling techniques!" Mildred said. "You're really into this, aren't you?"

"I'm invested in your future."

"I'm really tired from all the work we've done, but I still can't sleep."

HB sighed. "That happens sometimes. The magic is alert in your veins. Try to rest, Millie. Tomorrow is your day off from dueling, but I'm sure Pippa will want you awake for cooking lessons. I'm not sure I can stomach another of your 'Creative Creations' which resulted from your tiredness."

Mildred laughed and nestled closer. Miss Hardbroom's powerful, sturdy, consistent presence soon lulled her to sleep. Her sleep only lasted for a few hours though, and she awoke confused. Miss Hardbroom was still asleep. It felt very strange to see the witch with her eyes closed. She almost didn't look vulnerable at all. Even as she slept she looked as though she could attack at any moment, at the slightest provocation.

Feeling uneasy, Mildred carefully slipped out of her mentor and biological mother's arms. She looked around the room. It was time to find what she was really here for. Anxiety and excitement played with her as she went through HB's shelves. The coldness of the room was comforting. Every so often she would glance over her shoulder to make sure HB was still asleep.

Somehow, she found it. She hadn't been searching systematically, but she had eventually been drawn to it. The family spell book. The book glowed in Mildred's hands when she picked it up. She felt warmth running up her arms. This was her connection to her ancestors. It invited her to look inside, welcomed her like nothing else quite could.

Mildred chanced another glance at HB before opening it. She flipped through the pages reverently. She did not want to have to hurry, but she did. Finally, she found the section she was looking for. She picked a spell that would have to do, then fished the folded-up piece of paper out of her pajama pocket. She used a copy spell that Pippa had recently taught her, and the words in her family spell book appeared on the page. Mildred grinned down at it, exposing her teeth to the air. She quickly yet delicately replaced the book. The book seemed to have a calming effect on her, she was surprised at how smooth her movements were when putting it away, so much unlike her usual clumsy self. As soon as the book left her skin the feeling dissapeared.

Mildred tried to return to the bed, wincing when she stepped on a part of the floor and it made a noise. Miss Hardbroom stirred. Mildred decided to sacrifice noise for speed, and ran over to the bed and got back in next to her birth mother. Miss Hardbroom rolled over and hugged her in her sleep.

Mildred felt the paper in her pocket press against her.

Mildred stayed up late the next few nights, holding the paper and reading over the spell. It was complicated, and she wasn't sure if she could do it, but it was important that she learned how.

It was a locater spell designed specifically to find other members of the Hardbroom family. It was complex because when used incorrectly, it could split the user into a thousand different directions, by pulling them to a thousand different family members. It also could be used to find living members, or dead members. This could include remnants of their ashes, which could really be scattered almost anywhere. Though officially, the Hardbrooms had their own crypt, the more ancient family members were born, buried or burned before it was created.

Mildred felt foolish for being so interested in her family. She didn't think Miss Hardbroom would want her to poke around. She seemed to want to discourage behavior that put Mildred into the mindset of them being family, instead of mentor and pupil.

Mildred wasn't entirely sure what drew her to want to know more about Miss Hardbroom's family, to spy on them. She thought maybe it was because HB was closed off. If she could meet more of her family, maybe she could understand her more.

The Hardbrooms seemed to be such a dark and regal family. When Mildred really thought about it, she felt much more like her Mum, Julie Hubble, than these people.

Maybe Pippa's family was more like her and her Mum. Mildred knew that if she asked Pippa, Pippa would probably be happy to tell her all of the Pentangle's family secrets. Mildred wouldn't have to sneak into her chamber, or steal spells from the family book. She bet Pippa would even show it to her if she asked. It made Mildred feel suddenly bored. Secrecy could actually be more fun, as long as there were a couple things she could do to try to solve the mysteries.

It made Mildred smile and then laugh to imagine how angry Miss Hardbroom would be if she found out what she was trying to do. Mildred craved the strict witch's attention, positive or negative. If she successfully completed the locater spell, she bet Miss Hardbroom would even be a little impressed with her.


	14. Chapter 14: Keep Her from Sight

**Chapter Fourteen**

Mildred gazed at the window, the full moon, the dark blue sky, and the white stars. Then she looked up from her sketchbook, out the window at the real moon. She had been drawing to calm herself. She waved her fingers over the sketchbook and the moon went from full to half to gone to full again and the stars twinkled on the page. If Miss Hardbroom had taught her this, and many other things, she wondered what her other relatives could teach her.

She stood up and pulled out the spell. She was actually feeling confident, excited, maybe even a touch jittery, but confident. The drawing she had made, it was like a reflection of her mood. Blue, confidence, strong, capable. Then the anxious little stars, and the quickly changing moon.

The spell had three parts. The first, was arguably the most important one. Mildred would need to cast a spell to bind herself together. If done incorrectly, she could be split apart and pieces of her would be sent all over to her relatives. Mildred couldn't help but think it _would_ be a little funny if her foot appeared in front of Miss Hardbroom.

The second part of the spell was where she had to specify the generation she was looking for. Mildred had decided to only search for living relatives older than Miss Hardbroom, so she wouldn't end up accidentally being sent to her. The last part of the spell was a simple transport, and then Mildred would be in front of whichever relative was currently closest to her current location.

Mildred took a deep breath, and began the first chant.

"I am together, keep me me, bind me whether I travel across land, or sea." Mildred felt a sweet taste on her lips, and a protective light blue coating shimmer and wrap around her.

Mildred giggled.

Now to the next part, here was where it got tricky.

"Living relatives I seek, older than Hecate Hardbroom. Let me see and speak, to the relative closest to me, other than Hecate Hardbroom."

A fuzzy mirror like circle appeared before Mildred. She could make out the outline of a person, but she could not see much else. It was like a glasses lens that was the completely wrong prescription, floating in the air before her. Mildred knew when she cast the transport spell, she would go to whoever this person was, and finally see them clearly.

Before she could begin the words, she noticed yellow and black lights flashing in her room. Then an alarm started blaring. Mildred bent down and covered her ears. She must have done something wrong, this wasn't supposed to be part of the spell.

Miss Hardbroom and Miss Pentangle appeared in Mildred's room.

"Casting dangerous spells, I see, Mildred Hubble." Miss Hardbroom waved her arm and the flashing lights and the alarm stopped. She stepped forward and bent down to exam the floating glasses-lens-like structure that Mildred had created.

Mildred watched a look of surprise cross her birth mother's face.

Miss Hardbroom pointed to the paper lying on the ground at Mildred's feet and it flew into her hands. She read the spell slowly then looked up at Mildred. "You stole this from the family spell book."

"I didn't steal it, I, I borrowed it."

" _Undo it._ Now." Miss Hardbroom whispered the words in a dangerous tone.

"I-I don't know how."

"Which is one of many reasons why you shouldn't have been casting it." Miss Hardbroom waved her hands near the floating substance in the air. "It seemed you were about to meet my brother. An unwise choice." The floating substance disappeared.

Miss Hardbroom stepped towards Mildred and Mildred stepped back. Miss Hardbroom placed her hands on Mildred's shoulders. Mildred felt magic washing over her. "Hmm," Miss Hardbroom said. "It seems you actually managed to cast the binding spell correctly."

Miss Hardbroom lifted her hands off of Mildred's shoulders and Mildred felt as though cold water was touching, then breaking and falling off of her skin. The alert feeling the sensation gave her made her feel braver.

"Miss Hardbroom, why would you do that?" Mildred said. "You've ruined my spell! I was about to meet one of my relatives, and I had cast it correctly! How can you keep me from my own family?"

"You could have been killed!" Miss Hardbroom said, raising her voice. "And had you succeeded in locating my brother, you most certainly would have been!"

"How did you know I was even casting it?" Mildred demanded.

"I put a protection spell of my own on you, to alert me if you were casting dangerous magic." Miss Hardbroom said. "The original purpose was actually to alert me if someone was attacking you. I had assumed that you would only be casting dangerous magic in that case, but apparently, I overestimated you. I guess there has to be a first time for everything."

Miss Hardbroom's words stung. "You can't just keep me locked out of everyone's lives." Mildred said.

"Actually, I can." Miss Hardbroom said. "You are this close to being sent back to your mother with a silencing spell and a charm to keep your fingers together which will last for the rest of your life because you will be expelled."

"Miss Hardbroom, you're a cruel, horrible person and I can't believe—"

There was a cough. Both dark haired witches turned. They had forgotten that Pippa was in the room. Little pink smoke had left Pippa's mouth during the cough and was just now fading, indicating that it had been a magic cough designed to get their attention.

"Quite frankly, Mildred, I am astounded at your behavior." Pippa said.

Mildred had never seen Pippa's face look so hard and cold. At least not when she was looking at _her._ Maybe she had looked at Miss Hardbroom this way, when they had met for the spelling bee during her first year at Cackle's.

"After everything that Hecate has done for you," Pippa said. "You would go behind her back, put yourself in danger, and then not immediately apologize for it? Mildred, Hecate has been protecting you for fourteen years of her life. You have no idea what she's gone through, what she's had to endure. People have died, Mildred. You are very lucky that you are not one of them."

"What?" Mildred looked from Pippa to Miss Hardbroom, tears glistening in her eyes.

Hecate sighed and closed her eyes. "Mildred wait—" She started to say, knowing what Mildred was about to do before Mildred even lifted her hand.

There was a snap and Mildred was gone.

Hecate looked at Pippa.

"Hiccup, I won't apologize. I had to defend you. The girl crossed a line."

"Yes," Miss Hardbroom looked down at her hands. "She did. But she is only a child. She can't possibly begin to understand any of it. Especially not my family's dynamics. She will be very upset now."

"Do you want me to talk to her?" Pippa said. "I could explain—"

"No. I think you've said enough. I suppose I _will_ have to tell her more now."

"Are you angry with me?"

"A little, but I know your intentions were to protect me, and how can I not love you for that?"

Pippa smiled, but her face was still quite cold. "I think this might be the first time I've sided with you over Mildred."

"That's alright, Pipsqueak. I think the girl could use a powerful witch on her side. After all, I can be quite a harsh opponent for the wretched girl." With that, Miss Hardbroom waved her hand and disappeared to find her daughter.


	15. Chapter 15: Off the Path

**Chapter Fifteen**

Miss Hardbroom found Mildred wandering around Hollow Wood, sobbing.

"You shouldn't be out here so late at night," Miss Hardbroom said automatically. "It's not," she clenched her fingers then unclenched them "safe."

"Did you come here to send me away?"

Mildred looked up at Miss Hardbroom and Hecate was struck by how small Mildred looked, tears glistening in the moonlight. She looked like a toddler, reaching out their arms, begging to be picked up but expecting to be pushed away.

"No." Miss Hardbroom said. "I came here to talk to you. And, well, I came here to make sure you were alright, Mildred. There are so many things that you don't understand. You should know that I don't want to hurt you, I want to keep you safe."

Mildred dug her boot into the ground and stared at it as she dug up soil. "Did someone die because of me?"

"No. Not _because_ of you. Never _because_ of you."

"But I heard what Pippa said! Why are you lying to me!"

"I am not, lying to you. Broomhead did kill someone. Someone who she thought, was your other mother. But that was not your fault. You cannot blame yourself for the hatred that others are filled with."

"Why would Broomhead think someone other than Miss Pentangle was my other mother?"

"Mildred, a lot happened between me and Pippa. None of it was your fault."

"This woman who died, would you and her have raised me if Broomhead hadn't killed her?"

"Perhaps."

Mildred paced back and forth then leaned against a tree.

"Mildred, I didn't keep this from you because I wanted to hurt you—"

"I know," Mildred said, rolling her eyes. "You wanted to 'keep me safe.'"

"Speaking of which, how long were you planning on staying out here?"

Mildred looked down. "I don't know. I thought you were going to get rid of me, so I guess I was just planning on staying out here until then." Mildred looked around. "Did you know that when Ms. Mould took us out here, we actually saw this dangerous creature that was supposed to be extinct. Everyone was going to die, but then, I saved them of course."

"Of course." Miss Hardbroom said. "A fascinating story. You wouldn't be, by any chance, trying to distract me from the fact that you need to be punished for your reckless actions?"

"Uh, no? Of course not."

"Good. Because mentioning dangerous creatures would be an unwise way to go about it, considering that coming to Hollow Wood was just another way that you have put yourself in danger tonight."

Miss Hardbroom waved her hands and they were both back in Mildred's room. Miss Pentangle was gone.

"Sleep." Miss Hardbroom said, waving her arm. "I've cast a spell so that you cannot leave your room. We will talk in the morning about your punishment, but for now, you need your rest, and I need mine."

Miss Hardbroom waved her hand and disappeared from the room abruptly.

Mildred sat on her bed. She was buzzing with energy and a little in shock. A part of her couldn't believe that she had spoken to Miss Hardbroom the way that she had after she had been caught casting the family finding spell. Feelings of terror and dread were creeping into her stomach as well. As much as Miss Hardbroom might try to assure her otherwise, Mildred knew that someone had died because she had existed. Someone who she didn't know, who, had come very close to being one of the women who raised her.

Mildred pulled off her boots, regretting that she had actually done up her laces this time. She was supposed to have met one of her relatives by now, but instead, she was lying on her bed on top of the blankets, fully dressed. She didn't even remove her hat. She hugged herself and fell asleep. Sometime during the night, Tabby climbed onto her bed and curled up beside her.

That morning, Miss Hardbroom paced around Miss Pentangle's room.

"I think I like this on you," Pippa said.

Miss Hardbroom whirled around. "What?"

"This uncertainty. Is this the first time you haven't known how you wanted to punish a child?"

Hecate sighed. "Well, she is more than just _a_ child." She didn't need to say anymore for Pippa to know what she meant. _She's my child. Our child._ "I guess I am at a loss because Mildred is so upset over what she's learned, but at the same time, what she did was so dangerous, and she must not do it again!"

"Do you really think she would try to do anything like that again if you don't punish her at all?"

"I think she would do something like that or worse even if I _do_ punish her. I can only hope that the punishment prolongs the amount of time we have before the next disaster."

Mildred was starting to get worried. It was a half an hour past when they usually had breakfast. Had Hecate and Pippa forgotten that she was locked in here. She started pounding on her door. "Miss Hardbroom! Can you let me out! Let me out! Please?"

Mildred felt a presence behind her and turned to see that Miss Hardbroom had appeared in her room.

"Miss Hardbroom you came! Is it because I said please?" Mildred tilted her head a little.

"No, but that was a nice touch."

"I thought so."

Mildred fiddled with her hands. "So what are you going to do to me today? Is it a frog, or a toad this time?"

"Well, for now it's breakfast, and after that it's lines."

"That's all?"

"For now. But don't get too relieved yet. I haven't told you how many."

Mildred couldn't remember ever feeling awkward around Pippa before, but she did that morning during breakfast.

"Did you sleep well?" Pippa asked.

"Yes, Ms. Pentangle."

"Really?" Hecate said. She exchanged a look with Pippa. "Well, if that really is true, then that's good to hear Mildred, but I do find that a tad hard to believe."

Mildred pushed away her bowl of cereal. The milk was starting to make her stomach feel sick. "Do you think anyone else is going to die, because of me?"

Pippa and Hecate both in took a sharp breath at the same time, as if they were breathing as one.

"No one has died because of you!" Pippa said.

"I've already told you that the death was not your fault," Miss Hardbroom said at almost the same time.

"As for what's going to happen," Pippa said. "You can't blame yourself for anyone's death unless you murder them."

"Are you still mad at me?"

"Hmmm," Pippa wasn't sure how to respond. In truth she was still upset with Mildred's behavior, but at the same time the girl looked so pitiful right now. The last thing she wanted was to prolong Mildred's discomfort. "Look, Millie. Hecate and I, we love you, and we want what's best for you and for you to be safe."

"So, that's a yes?"

"Be honest with me," Pippa said. "Do you really believe that what you did last night was wrong?"

Mildred blushed. She was starting to wish they were still talking about how the death of a witch had been her fault. "I guess not," Mildred stared at the table, she couldn't look at Miss Hardbroom, but she could feel her reaction. If Miss Hardbroom had asked her that question, she might have tried harder to lie, but with Pippa, she felt helpless when it came to hiding the truth.

"Then I _guess_ ," Miss Hardbroom said darkly. "You can probably figure out how we are feeling, Mildred. Or at least, I would hope you would be able to infer what we are feeling."

"What was your brother like?" Mildred blurted out. "Why didn't you want me to see him?"

"My brother," Miss Hardbroom said, "is my oldest sibling. He was the perfect child growing up. He made both of his parents proud. Let's just say that he has strayed quite far from the path he had chosen during childhood. He has become involved in criminal activities. If you were to have popped up out of the ground while he was in the middle of one of his... _interactions_ let's just say that you wouldn't have lasted very long."

"Woah!" Mildred said. "What's crime like in the magical world?"

"It's really not all that exciting," Pippa supplied. She didn't think it was appropriate for Mildred to learn too many of the details of what Hecate's brother did. She also knew that talk of him would quickly get on Hecate's nerves.

"Are all of your siblings criminals?" Mildred asked. "How many siblings do you have? Do you have a favorite sibling? Do you wish you had more siblings, or do you wish you had less?"

"I think that is enough questions for now, Mildred." Miss Hardbroom said. "I suggest that you finish what you want of your breakfast quietly unless you want me to give you a silencing spell to help you with that."

"Oh Miss Hardbroom, please don't spell me! I really hate that!"

Miss Hardbroom and Pippa exchanged a glance.

"Then eat. Your food. Quietly." Miss Hardbroom said.


	16. Chapter 16: She Crossed a Line

**Chapter Sixteen**

Two hundred lines. Mildred decided that she hated lines more than any other punishment. And there was no Enid or Maud to help her with them either. Mildred considered using a copying spell to speed up the process, but Miss Hardbroom stayed in the potions lab with her while she wrote. Miss Hardbroom seemed to like to use the potions lab to punish Mildred, as if school were still in session and she was in detention.

Mildred wrote:

 _I will not use dangerous spells without permission._

Over and over again.

The more lines she wrote the harder it was to keep her handwriting neat. Her brain wanted to scramble the words on the page that it was so tired of hearing and being forced to write. She couldn't think of much else as she wrote the lines, the lines took her concentration, but her brain fought against having to do the same thing over and over when it seemed so pointless. Her body and mind rebelled against the sentence that was supposed to be forced into it.

When Mildred had written one-hundred-forty-two lines she raised her hand and asked for a break.

"You have fifteen minutes," Miss Hardbroom said.

Mildred scrambled from her chair and ran from the room, not even thinking of snapping her fingers because her hand was so tired. Mildred used the bathroom then paced the hall, stretching her fingers and arms. Miss Hardbroom appeared before her and transported them back to the potions lab.

"Back to work." Miss Hardbroom said.

When Mildred had finally written two hundred lines, she chewed on her lip as she handed the stack of papers to Miss Hardbroom.

Miss Hardbroom waved her hand over them and they glowed pink. The words 'dangerous' and 'permission' floated in the air, with numbers beside them. A number eight floated beside 'dangerous' and a number seven floated beside 'permission.'

"It seems you've misspelled dangerous eight times and permission seven times," Miss Hardbroom said. "Twenty more lines. This time be more careful."

"But HB!"

"Now!"

Mildred groaned and headed back towards her chair.

"Did I hear a noise?" Miss Hardbroom said. "Were you looking to have a silencing spell used on you?"

"No Miss Hardbroom," Mildred said dully. "Sorry Miss Hardbroom."

"Insincere apologies are worse than no apologies at all. Don't say anything else and get back to work."

The next twenty lines seemed even worse than the first two hundred. Mildred's heart raced as she anxiously checked over the words. She thought she was spelling it right. But it was so easy to make a little mistake and not notice, as long as the shape of the word was pretty much correct. Mildred didn't see why it even mattered, as long as what she wrote was legible. But it was HB she was dealing with, so of course she would pay extra attention to unnecessary detail.

Mildred actually held her breath as HB checked over her paper this time.

"Ah," Miss Hardbroom said. "It seems you only have one mistake this time. Forty more lines."

"HB, I was so close, if you give me forty more there's no way that I'll be able to finish with no mistakes!"

"Well, then I suppose you'll be doing eighty more lines after that, and one-hundred-sixty more after that, and three-hundred-twenty more if you still can't get it right, and we'll be here for a very long time, Mildred Hubble. So why don't you, stop arguing, call me 'Miss Hardbroom' instead of 'HB' and be extra careful this time before turning in your lines. And just a reminder, Mildred, no magic."

"Yes, Miss Hardbroom." Mildred turned back to her chair, defeated.

Miss Hardbroom smiled when the girl's back was to her, but her expression was neutral again once Mildred had taken a seat. She knew lines must drive a creative girl like Mildred crazy. Miss Hardbroom continued to read her book about teaching dueling techniques, writing down notes in her loopy handwriting, and perfecting her lesson plan.

Worse than Mildred's sore hand was Mildred's restless mind, desperate to flee. It was like a horse that's rider was tugging on the reins and kicking her at the same time. No matter where she went there was no escape.

Every now and then Mildred would shoot Miss Hardbroom a nasty glance.

"If you look at me like that one more time, Mildred, I will spell your face so it wears that expression for the rest of the day."

Mildred looked down at her paper quickly, but she was pretty sure that she would be wearing this unhappy expression for the rest of the day, spell or no spell. HB was really impossibly strict. Mildred found herself wishing that she was spying on HB's brother right now. Even if that meant she was in danger, or even killed. She wanted to know about the kinds of things he did as a criminal. It had to be more interesting than performing pointless tasks and punishments for HB. She thought even death by his hand would be more enjoyable than lines.

Mildred checked over the papers for a long time before she turned them in. If she made a mistake this time, she might just beat her head against the floor. Or snap her fingers and escape and deal with whatever HB decided to do with her then.

"Well, Mildred," Miss Hardbroom said. "It seems that you have made no mistakes this time. An incredible feet for you, I must say. Congratulations."

"Oh, thank the Great Witch! My mind is so sore Miss Hardbroom!"

"It must be." Miss Hardbroom said. "There is no such thing as the Great Witch."

"Well, that just makes no sense. No wonder the magical world is so messed up."

Miss Hardbroom smiled a little. "Mildred, I can't help but feel as though you are not very sorry for your actions. I hope you remember the next time that you think of doing something foolish that the punishment will not be as light as it was now."

"It definitely didn't feel 'light' Miss Hardbroom." Mildred studied the desk.

A silence fell between them.

Mildred held her arms behind her back, tugging on one wrist with the other.

"Miss Hardbroom?" She said finally.

"Yes?"

Mildred chewed on her lip. "Are you still upset with me?"

Miss Hardbroom sighed. "I am concerned that you are not taking your training, your place here, and your responsibility as a witch seriously. If your behavior does not improve, I will have to consider sending you back to the non-magical world. For good."

"Miss Hardbroom, are you disappointed? That it was me?"

Hecate was speechless. The words seemed to climb right into her heart and then move down into her lungs, swirling like magical smoke. It was unbelievable that Mildred could think that, and yet, here she was, open and vulnerable and pleading.

"Of course not." Miss Hardbroom's voice came out very softly, and moisture glistened in her eyes. "I am proud, that it was you. Goodhearted, brave, self-sacrificing. I did not have those qualities when I was your age, but you have them in abundance. If I end up needing to...send you away, it is not because I am disappointed that you are the one." _The one who is my daughter._ "I know that if you want to improve your behavior, you will succeed. If you choose not to become better behaved, then we will have to part ways, and you, my dear, will have to leave the magical world for good."

Mildred nodded. "I can do better. I will do better. I promise."

"That's definitely a start. You seem to be a girl of your word."

"I am." Mildred's voice was full of determination. It was time to stop being weak, time to stop looking for Miss Hardbroom's approval like an attention starved five-year-old. Mildred imagined taking her hand, and pushing the interest in her birth family aside. She was still painfully curious. But she would have to control herself better. Her entire future in the magical world was at stake. She couldn't let whatever had happened in the past ruin it.

 **Author's Note:**

I was going to have Mildred write one thousand lines, but then I tried writing lines myself and realized that one thousand would be a bit much to do in one sitting. I've also decided that lines may very well be one of the worst punishments out there.


	17. Chapter 17: A Firm Hand

**Chapter Seventeen**

Hecate was pleased with Mildred's progress over the next few days. Her shield spell continued to strengthen, taking more and more spells each duel. Soon, it would be time to teach her the next spell.

Hecate sat in bed with a book on dueling techniques in one hand, and a book to take notes in beside her. Her lesson plan was right on schedule, and she was exceedingly pleased.

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in," Miss Hardbroom said. Perhaps Mildred had finally learned to respectfully knock instead of using her blood right to bust in.

It was Pippa who entered.

"Is now a bad time?"

"Now, is a perfect time," Hecate set aside her books. "Mildred's behavior has improved immensely. We're right on schedule. I'm actually working on my lesson plan for three weeks from now. I might as well attempt to know in advance what the future holds. Especially with processes as volatile as these. If things continue as they are, however, it's possible that there will even be some consistency! It will definitely help me to relax at night."

Pippa sat down on the edge of the bed. She took Hecate's hand. "You're putting so much time and effort into Mildred's training. I don't want to criticize your techniques." Pippa looked down at their intertwined hands.

"What is it, Pippa?"

Pippa looked into Hecate's eyes. "I'm worried about Mildred. She doesn't seem to be herself, lately."

"Well, she's definitely been more focused." Miss Hardbroom said. "Her personality seems to have improved."

Pippa sighed. "She's quiet. She's respectful. She barely speaks at all! But not in a rude way. She'll answer questions when spoken to. She really just doesn't seem herself. I think something is wrong."

"She's maturing, it had to happen at some point."

"Did something happen between you two? Ever since she tried to find your brother and you made her write those lines..."

"Mildred hates lines. It really is quite a simple, and effective punishment. It seems to have worked wonders on the girl."

"Hecate."

"Alright, I may have mentioned that if her behavior does not improve, she will have to be sent back to the non-magical world, for good."

Pippa gasped. "Would you really do that to her? I thought the whole point of the training was so that you could keep her around!"

Hecate extracted her hand from Pippa's and used both of her hands to rub her temples. "When I learned of Broomhead's death I may have...overreacted."

"You mean you think telling me and Mildred was a mistake?"

"No. I don't think it was a mistake. I think that it was more dangerous than I allowed myself to believe at the time. I was so relieved she was dead. I thought finally...finally..." Hecate looked at Pippa, so she knew that Pippa would understand. "But when Mildred tried to contact my brother! I realized that telling her the truth, Mildred Hubble of all people, Pipsqueak, would always be far more dangerous than I would like to think about. And now I've dragged you into this as well. So yes, if her behavior hadn't improved, I would have sent her out."

"I understand where you're coming from, but the non-magical world isn't completely safe. And if you send her back there and she hasn't trained, and someone comes after her, how will she protect herself?"

"There are, less pleasant ways of ensuring that no one comes after Mildred. I do not want to have to use them."

"Even if you erased Mildred's memory, someone could still figure out who she was. Then she'd be in even more danger, not remembering how to even do the simplest spell."

"There are more dangerous and forbidden spells. Spells that could put the entire magical community in danger, but that could protect Mildred forever. For example, I could erase the memory of Mildred from every magical person in existence. If it went wrong, of course, I may end up seriously damaging the mental capabilities of many fine witches and wizards."

"I don't doubt that you would be powerful enough to cast such a spell, but even if it went right it would still be quite unpleasant. We would never even know what we missed, not having Mildred around. "

"Exactly. But she would be safe."

"I'm torn, Hiccup. Threatening Mildred with abandonment seems so cruel, and yet, it also seems to be working. I want her to be happy, and to be herself, but because of the danger she is in, it makes sense for her to be disciplined."

"Discipline, is a very hard quality to force Mildred Hubble to take on. It seems to require a hand firm enough to bend a tree trunk into a broomstick."

"You definitely have that," Pippa said. "But you have many other sides to you as well. Maybe she needs to see those more often. Maybe what she needs is attention, approval, positive reinforcement."

"Yes, well she gets those things from you."

"She doesn't want it from me, because she already has it from me. She wants it from you."

"Pippa, you know that I cannot afford—"

"Hecate, I know that you can do it if you try. Just be a little bit softer, praise her a little more, you said she was improving, yeah? Maybe mention you're proud of her, of her change in behavior."

"As soon as I soften up, Mildred will fall apart. We will have the same, disaster prone, clumsy, lovable wretched girl we've always had. It is time for Mildred Hubble to change. I must do all I can to encourage her to. It is my duty as her, as her protector."

"You'll raise a warrior."

"Perhaps, but at least she'll be a safe one."

Pippa shook her head. "Think about it, please."

"Is that all you wanted to talk to me about?" Hecate looked at her pointedly.

"No, of course not. Come here you silly Hiccup."

The two powerful witches leaned towards one another.


	18. Chapter 18: A Perfect Child

**Chapter Eighteen**

Mildred had started cooking breakfast, lunch and dinner with Pippa. That morning when Pippa entered the kitchen, she found that Mildred had already made them three plates of stacked pancakes.

"Is the one with chocolate chips for you?"

"No, that one is for you, Miss Pentangle."

Miss Pentangle and Mildred both loved pancakes with chocolate chips, but Hecate disapproved of them because she felt that they made an unhealthy, sweet food, even more unhealthy and sweet. Pippa supposed that Mildred not making chocolate chip pancakes for herself, even though she loved them, was something that she must want Hecate to notice.

Pippa picked one of the pancakes up and bit into it like a donut. Mildred had perfectly executed the 'feel good' charm. "Excellent!" Pippa said. "Great work, Mille!"

"Thank you, Miss Pentangle. I can only hope that it pleases Miss Hardbroom, as well as you."

"I'm sure it will." Pippa found Mildred's behavior to be a bit eerie. Like a possessed doll in a horror film. Maybe if she could get Hecate to adjust her way of interacting with the girl, she would start acting a little more normal. Pippa used a transport spell to magic herself outside of Hecate's door. "Hiccup, are you in there?"

"Yes," Hecate opened the door. "I just got back from my morning walk. Is something wrong? Why aren't you in the kitchens with Mildred."

"Mildred got up early to make us breakfast."

"Has she burned down half the school."

"No, she was quite successful. Hecate, I just thought, maybe, you could, you know, be positive about it, okay? Say that it's nice, or that it tastes good, something?"

"Pippa, you act as though Mildred is as fragile as that trophy she broke when she was a first year. I'm sure that she does not need me fussing over her food, or her, 'Creative Creations.' Besides, knowing the girl, she just wants something from us."

"I think what she wants is approval."

"Well I guess we'll see. Are you ready to face the little angel-faced demon or would you prefer to stay here discussing her."

"Hecate, you're impossible. Let's go."

Hecate waved her hands and they were in the dining hall.

Mildred had already laid out the food, and was just fixing the silverware.

"Well met, Miss Hardbroom," Mildred said, bowing carefully. "Well met, Miss Pentangle." Her second bow also contained a certain grace to it that succeeded in keeping Pippa creeped out.

"Well met," Miss Pentangle returned the greeting and the gesture.

"Don't you think that's a little bit formal, Mildred?" Hecate said. "We are not your long-lost aunts returning from a journey across the seas."

"My apologies, Miss Hardbroom."

Miss Hardbroom studied Mildred's face. It had once been so flexible, changing with the slightest touch of emotion. Now it was so still Miss Hardbroom wondered if Mildred had used a freezing spell on it. She lifted her hand and waved her fingers, but detected nothing.

Mildred reacted to the magic touching her face, merely by shifting a shoulder.

"Hecate, is something wrong?" Pippa asked.

"Apparently not," Miss Hardbroom said. She turned away from her daughter and took a seat.

As they ate, Miss Hardbroom grudgingly stewed over Miss Pentangle's pleas for her to be kinder to Mildred. She had to admit to herself that Pippa might be right. She gritted her teeth. If praising Mildred caused the girl's behavior to slip, she would make her write lines until her hand fell off. She might actually make herself write lines as well. What would she have herself write? It wasn't hard for her to settle on an answer: _I must not go easy on Mildred Hubble._

"I see you've used whole wheat flower," Miss Hardbroom said.

"That is correct, Miss Hardbroom," Mildred said.

"It tastes very...healthy." Miss Hardbroom said. "Though of course, it is still not as healthy a choice as oatmeal, or eggs and potatoes."

Pippa rolled her eyes. At least her lover was trying.

Mildred cleared away their dishes at the end of the meal and magicked them clean. She didn't break a single one in the process, not even a healthy scratch could be found on them. Then she returned to the dining hall to stand before her mentors.

"Miss Hardbroom, Miss Pentangle, I wondered if you might allow me to mirror Enid," Mildred said.

Miss Hardbroom looked at Miss Pentangle. _What did I say, Pippa?_ Her expression communicated. _The girl simply wanted something._

"Enid Nightshade," Miss Hardbroom said. "Why not, Maud Spellbody?"

"Maud is away on vacation, Miss Hardbroom."

"They don't have mirrors on vacation?" Miss Hardbroom asked.

"Maud and her parents are dragon watching, Miss Hardbroom."

"Ah," Miss Hardbroom said.

Mildred had been shocked to learn that dragons were another part of the magical community that she knew nothing about. It turned out that dragons were shy, gentle animals. The fire they breathed was completely harmless, and they used it to help them see because their vision was so poor. Mirrors could not be used anywhere near dragons because it could scare the poor creatures. Dragons were so sensitive they could actually die of shock. Wildlife conserving witches would put up silencing charms around dragon habitats to keep noise pollution from entering their area. Maud's parents were very big on earth-helping and animal-helping, and their daughter Maud was too.

Pippa couldn't help but frown at the exchange between Mildred and Hecate. It was so strange to hear Mildred casually discussing dragons. The old Mildred would be chattering on about how it was so weird that dragons were actually harmless and not harmful. Pippa bit her lip, she shouldn't be upset that Mildred was learning more. Could it be that Hecate was right and Mildred _was_ only maturing? Teenagers could change quickly, especially at Mildred's age.

"Of course you can mirror Enid," Pippa broke in. "We wouldn't want to keep you from your friends."

"No," Miss Hardbroom said in a way that suggested she felt the opposite. "I suppose we wouldn't." She looked down at her clock. "You have fifteen minutes. After that I want you back here working on your dueling. And, as you know, if you and your," Miss Hardbroom hesitated. " _Friend_ " she said the word in a nasty tone rather than coming up with an insult for Enid. "Get into any trouble there will be severe consequences."

"Yes Miss Hardbroom. Of course, Miss Hardbroom. Thank you Miss Hardbroom. Thank you, Miss Pentangle."

"Of course, Millie," Pippa said.

"Go." Miss Hardbroom said. "You are on the clock."

Mildred snapped her fingers expertly and was gone.

Miss Hardbroom swore she saw a smile on the girl's face before she completely disappeared, but perhaps she was only imagining things. Miss Hardbroom shook her head. She disapproved of her senses deceiving her. In her opinion, imagination was simply deception that had gotten out of hand.


	19. Chapter 19: Control Your Emotions

**Chapter Nineteen**

"Mildred!" Enid was so overjoyed to see her friend that it took her a moment to notice that something was off. "Are you alright? You've got bags underneath your eyes."

Mildred touched her lower eyelids. "I'm fine, I'm so happy to see you."

"What has HB been doing to you. Mildred I'm so sorry you have to spend your vacation with her."

Miss Hardbroom had told Mildred at the end of her second year that it was strongly recommended that she study with her over the summer. She was quite disaster prone, and after the incident with the founding stone, Miss Cackle wanted to make sure that Mildred was performing at a higher level of competence during her third year. Now, Mildred knew that it was most likely Miss Hardbroom who convinced Miss Cackle that Mildred needed extra work. To catch up, because she was from a non-witching family. Mildred had originally imagined that Miss Cackle had to persuade a grudging Miss Hardbroom to sacrifice her summer to work with her. Now she knew Miss Hardbroom was behind it all.

But Enid didn't know. And she couldn't tell Enid.

"She's not so bad. She's just been a little hard on me, is all. I've been put on a strict schedule," Mildred pointed to the floating golden numbers beside her head, which were counting down. "We're on the clock."

"You can't even talk to _me_ for as long as you want?"

Mildred shook her head. "That's HB." Mildred decided not to mention that Miss Hardbroom had not wanted her to talk to Enid at all.

"How's your summer been?" Mildred asked.

"It's been alright. My parents took me to a couple of different magical theme parks. We had to wear disguise spells most of the time to not be bothered. Now they're on tour though. I'm with the babysitter. I've got the whole house to myself though. There's plenty of space if you...you know. Do you, would you want to come over sometime?"

"Yeah!" Mildred's entire body seemed to light up. She sat up straighter, as though she were a rubber band stretching to its full capacity before it would break. Then she deflated. "But...I don't think HB will let me."

"Hey, isn't Miss Hardbroom's girlfriend, what's-her-pink-face, Miss Pentangle over there with you too?"

"Yeah..."

"Well, why don't you ask her? Maybe she could get HB to let you go."

"I don't know..."

"You may as well try. Come on Mille! I want to be with you, and for more than fifteen minutes!"

"Me too. Enid, I really want to come over, like you have no idea."

"Maybe you should make a persuasion potion. Give it to HB."

"Well, Pippa's been teaching me to cook. I suppose I could slip it into the food."

"Yeah! Exactly, see? We make a great team."

"Yeah, we do."

After the clock had run out of time, and Enid's face had disappeared from the mirror, Mildred pressed her face into her hands. She had felt so normal talking to Enid. As if Enid were a time machine, taking her back to their second year, when she was carefree. And happy, and with Enid, and Maud, instead of Miss Hardbroom, who was not only her teacher, but also her mom.

Mildred ran her fingers down her face and sighed. She could not afford to start crying right now. Miss Hardbroom was probably going to yell at her for being a few minutes late. Mildred focused on fixing her facial features into one simple, steady expression. Then she snapped her fingers.

"You're late!" Miss Hardbroom said, advancing forward.

Mildred burst into tears.

"Mildred!" Miss Hardbroom instinctively pulled her into her arms. "Whatever is the matter? Did something happen to Enid?"

Mildred sobbed into Miss Hardbroom's embrace, feeling foolish. She wished she had some grand explanation for her sudden loss of emotional control, but she didn't. "Please don't send me away," she said. "Please."

"Mildred, I'm not going to send you away because you were a few minutes late to your dueling lesson, that would be ridiculous."

Mildred held on tightly to Miss Hardbroom, continuing to cry.

Miss Hardbroom rubbed Mildred's back soothingly. "It's alright, Millie, it's alright. Shhh, hush now."

Mildred slowly pulled away from the embrace and wiped at her face. "I'm sorry, Miss Hardboom. I didn't mean to, didn't mean to lose control like that."

"You are allowed to have emotions, Mildred."

"But if I lose control of them, I'll lose control of my magic too! I want to be more like you, you never lose control."

Miss Hardbroom sighed. "Maintaining control of your magic and yourself does not mean bottling up your emotions until you explode. That is unhealthy. You're lucky it wasn't your magic that exploded instead."

"I'm sorry, Miss Hardbroom."

"You don't need to apologize, Mildred. I don't expect you to be perfect, I only expect you to do your best. I've been meaning to tell you that I'm very proud of the work that you've been doing over the past few days. I don't think I will have to send you back to the non-magical world anytime soon."

"Really?" Mildred's face brightened in a way that Miss Hardbroom had not seen it do since before she had threatened to send the girl back to the non-magical world.

"Really."

Mildred launched herself at Miss Hardbroom and wrapped her arms around the powerful witch again. "Thank you, Miss Hardbroom. You really are the best mentor."

Miss Hardbroom was glad that the girl couldn't see her face as she hugged her back. Miss Hardbroom herself may have lost a bit of her emotional control, but that happened occasionally, even for a powerful witch like her. It seemed to happen most often around a certain girl named Mildred Hubble.


	20. Chapter 20: The Bat's Wings

**Chapter Twenty**

Mildred Hubble was conflicted. Things were going so well between her and HB. Her shield spell was strengthening, HB didn't feel the need to mock her too much, and she could let herself behave more normally without the deathly fear of being sent to the non-magical world at her back. But that didn't mean that Miss Hardbroom would let her sleepover at Enid's house. Mildred hadn't asked her yet, but she was pretty sure that if she did, she would say no. The _only_ thing that would seem to get her to let her go would be a persuasion potion. Yet, brewing and using one of those was certain to get her into the kind of trouble that could lead to HB kicking her out. She didn't want to throw everything away and end up back in the non-magical world with nothing, especially when everything was going so well.

Mildred couldn't allow herself to do something so reckless, even though her longing for Enid begged her to. She would see Enid again at the end of summer, she tried to tell herself, but only if she didn't get banished from the magical world first.

Mildred sat at the table for breakfast. She stared down at her bowl. She swirled her oatmeal one way, then she swirled it the other way.

"Mildred, is something wrong?" It was Miss Hardbroom who asked.

Mildred looked up. She looked at Miss Hardbroom, then she looked at Pippa, and looked back at Miss Hardbroom again. Mildred sighed. She couldn't keep it a secret any longer. "Enid wanted to know if I can come over sometime and I really want to go," Mildred blurted out.

"Well, why haven't you asked, then?" Said Miss Hardbroom.

"I...I thought you would say no." Mildred looked at her in confusion.

"It's not up to me, or Pippa, to decide." Miss Hardbroom said. "It is your mother's choice."

"Really?"

"Of course." Miss Hardbroom said. "After all, it was your mother's permission we needed to train you this summer, so if you wish to go somewhere else for a little while it is also her who you should ask."

"Can I mirror her?"

"After you are done eating," Miss Hardbroom said. "I will accompany you to confirm her response."

"Thank you Miss Hardbroom!" Mildred knew there was no way that her mother would be against her spending time with Enid.

"Do not thank me," Miss Hardbroom said. "Nothing has been approved yet."

Mildred beamed and quickly started shoveling oatmeal into her mouth.

Julie Hubble was delighted to let her daughter go over to her friend's house, just as Mildred had suspected.

"Of course I would love for Millie to go!" She said. "I'm assuming you think it's safe?"

"Enid Nightshade's parents are wealthy and famous." Miss Hardbroom said. "Their house should be adequately safeguarded from any danger."

Mildred gazed up at Miss Hardbroom with her mouth hanging open until Miss Hardbroom looked down at her and met her eyes and Mildred closed her mouth and turned back to the mirror.

"So I can stay overnight, right?" Mildred asked.

"You only have one off-day," Miss Hardbroom said. "But as long as you complete your training beforehand I don't see why not. Provided that it is alright with your mother."

"Yeah!" Julie Hubble said. "That's fine!"

When the mirror chat with her mother ended, Mildred flung her arms around Miss Hardbroom. "Thank, you, thank you, thank you! You're the bats!"

Pippa was quite surprised that Miss Hardbroom was letting Mildred go on a sleepover at her friend's house. She told her so as they shared a bed.

"Well, it's not as though I can keep her under my eye all of the time. It wouldn't be healthy. The girl does need to be allowed to have some fun every now and then."

"Enid Nightshade's house really might not be the safest place for her," Pippa said. "Enid's parents are famous, which could attract stalkers and psychos or people looking to make a profit from taking Enid captive."

"If Mildred is in any danger, her protective spell will alert us. Besides, Mildred has gotten quite good at her shield charms."

"This feels like a strange role reversal," Pippa said. "You're the one who's supposed to worry about her safety."

"Maybe you should watch her duel, then, sometime, Pippa. You might worry less."

"Are you...? Hecate Hardbroom are you doing this because you want Mildred to think of you as a 'cool parent'?"

Hecate blushed. "I don't see what temperature's got to do with it."

Pippa shook her head. "It's a non-magical expression. Some parents want their kids to think they're the bat's wings. I never thought you would fall into such a trap. Mildred's really got her spider web wrapped around you, huh?"

"Pippa, I assure you that I am only doing this because I think it's best for Mildred."

"Whatever you say, Hecate. Oh, what am I saying! This sleepover probably can't do much harm. I should be supporting this! I'm sure if you wouldn't, I would."

Mildred mirrored Enid to tell her the good news.

"Enid, you're not going to believe this," Mildred said. "I can go, and it was Miss Hardbroom who said so!"

"Millie that's great! I can't believe it actually worked!"

"Oh no, Enid. What did you do?"

"Well...I may have brewed a little persuasion potion of my own. The kind where you have to cast it for it to work. I thought I might be too far away for it to have any effects, but I guess not."

"Enid! If Miss Hardbroom finds out about this she'll have me banned from the magical community!"

"Relax. It was _me_ who did it, and not you. If she finds out, I'll just tell her that I didn't think it was going to work. Don't worry Mildred, everything will be just fine."


	21. Chapter 21: Magical Reality

**Chapter Twenty-One**

As the day of the sleepover approached, Mildred's guilt and worry increased. What would happen if Miss Hardbroom found out about the persuasion potion after the sleepover had already taken place? Would she expel Enid from Cackle's, and send Mildred back to the nonmagical world? It was one thing to get herself in trouble, but she couldn't bear the thought of getting Enid expelled.

"Miss Hardbroom," Mildred finally got up the courage to say. "I need to tell you something."

"What is it, dear?"

Mildred hung her head and huffed. "I can't go on that sleepover with Enid."

"Why not? Did something happen between the two of you?"

"No I—" Mildred huffed. "Please don't be mad at Enid! She used a persuasion potion on you, but I know it wasn't right and I don't want to get her into trouble!"

There was a moment of tense silence. Mildred stared at the floor, sure her head would break open like the cracks in the floorboards. Then Mildred heard a strange noise and looked up in shock. She recognized what Miss Hardbroom's face was doing but she couldn't quite believe it.

"Miss Hardbroom, are you alright?" Mildred tilted her head in wonder.

Miss Hardbroom was laughing.

"Mildred," Miss Hardbroom said, wrestling with her facial muscles to get her smile under control. "Persuasion potions have to be ingested. And they taste fowl. If you had used one on me, I would know, believe me, Mildred. I know my potions."

"But Enid said she casted it!"

"They cannot be casted, Mildred, they must be ingested. Maybe if you actually studied your potions book more frequently you would know that. Listen, I know it may be hard for you to believe, but I am okay with you going over to Enid's house for a little while."

"Really?"

"Really. But don't make me regret it."

Mildred wrapped her arms around Miss Hardbroom. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, Mildred," Miss Hardbroom said, stroking her back. "However, if you or Enid ever try to cast a spell on me again know that there will be _consequences._ "

Mildred gulped and nodded vigorously, her face rubbing against the smooth fabric of Miss Hardbroom's dress. "Yes, Miss Hardbroom."

"Thank you for your honesty," Miss Hardbroom said, squeezing her tighter. "I know that it must have been hard for you to tell me the truth."

"The truth is important to me," Mildred said. She and the older witch's thoughts both drifted to a different truth that bound the two of them together.

Miss Hardbroom held onto her daughter, not ready to let go.

Enid's house was like something out of a non-magical child's pretend game. It was full of magical rooms. Some of them were for Enid's parents, and she couldn't go into those, they were spelled to keep her out. A large proportion of them, however, were designed for Enid and by Enid.

There was a room that was a swimming pool. The liquid in the pool would change to be whatever Enid liked. It could be orange soda, root beer, grape soda, liquid chocolate.

"It was the perfect idea, wasn't it?" Enid said. "You can drink and swim at the same time!"

Mildred sipped the chocolate that was currently in the pool and giggled, deciding not to tell Enid that it was not the most original idea.

There was a bouncy room, which looked like an ordinary room until you stepped inside and realized that everything could send you into the air. The carpet, the walls, the ceiling, the coffee table and the coach, could all be bounced off of.

Mildred and Enid played an intense game of laser tag in the magic virtual reality room. At first they played against each other, but then they played against the room. Mildred was glad that the virtual people that came after them with guns did not look completely real, though they looked real enough. When Mildred got shot in the shoulder and magic virtual blood spilled down her arm, she forgot they were only playing.

"Enid, I don't think I'm going to make it."

"That's alright Mildred," Enid rushed over to her. "I'll save you." She hoisted Mildred up and carried her. Mildred was surprised at the strength she felt in Enid's thin arms. She wrapped her arms around Enid's neck and Enid shot at some of the virtual figures in their way.

They made it to the door and Enid set Mildred down in the hallway, closing the door to the virtual magic room. The virtual blood had disappeared from Mildred's shoulder as soon as she had exited.

"Enid you saved me!" Mildred stood up and threw her arms around Enid.

"Yeah, it was nothing," Enid smiled and shrugged. "Come on, I've got more to show you." She grabbed Mildred's hand and tugged her along.

Mildred loved running through the halls with Enid, from room to room. She realized that she actually liked the time spent between the rooms, running and holding hands, as much or possibly even more than the time spent in the rooms. In the hallways she felt the adrenaline and the anticipation of the next room, the next amazing new wonder Enid was going to show her.

Despite all of the magical creations the house contained, Mildred decided that her favorite room was Enid's bedroom. The bed was gigantic, and when she sat on it with Enid, it felt as though the fluffy dark pink blanket underneath them was grass on the top of a hill.

"So, what do you think of the house?" Enid said.

"It's incredible!"

"Yeah? Well, it gets lonely sometimes..."

"I'm sorry. I mean, I come here and everything seems so fun, but I think that's just because I'm with you."

"This place is way more fun with you around Mildred. I shouldn't complain, I mean I've got it good. At least I don't have HB telling me what to do all the time."

"You mean like I do?"

"I think it's really unfair they made you do all that extra work over the summer. I don't get how they can think you're not a good witch, when you save the school at least three times every year! You should get free passes from being expelled for that."

"Well, HB did pass me after my first year, even though I broke a broomstick. And training with her could be worse. At least I'm learning magic. I do got a lot to catch up on, coming from a non-magical family and all."

"Maybe those stuffy old witches who judge you for your background are the ones who really have things to catch up on!"

Mildred and Enid laughed.

"Thanks, Enid."

"Mildred I don't think you get...how, well, how awesome you really are."

"Really, you think I'm awesome?" Mildred teased. "Maybe I am."

"Shut up, Millie!" Enid laughed and threw a piece of fuzz from the blanket at her.

Mildred caught the fuzz and played with it between her fingers. "You're the one who's really awesome, Enid." Mildred said seriously.

Enid and Mildred fell silent and looked at each other. Their eyes dared each other to move. Enid was never one to back down from a dare. She leaned forward and kissed Mildred quickly on the lips. She pulled away before Mildred could respond.

Mildred looked at her in shock and wonderment. "Wow," was all she could say.

"That's our little secret," Enid said, smiling and taking her hand.

"Do it again," Mildred said.

Enid smirked.

They both leaned towards each other and their mouths stayed together for a little longer this time.


	22. Chapter 22: Enid's Rainbow

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

Breakfast at Enid's house was just as incredible as everything else inside the witch's living space. There were three chocolate fountains, one with dark chocolate, one with milk chocolate and one with white chocolate. There seemed to be an endless selection of fruit, pastries, assorted magical and non-magical desserts, cereals, oatmeal of all different flavors, pancakes, eggs, jams, marmalade. It was like being at a magical all-you-can-eat buffet.

"Don't worry," Enid said. "My parents always donate extra food to charity."

Enid's babysitter joined them at meal times, though was largely seemingly absent while they played around the house. According to Enid she was there in case of an emergency. She didn't enforce strict rules. She was almost like the opposite of Miss Hardbroom. Apparently, Enid went through babysitters fast.

This one seemed young, maybe just over twenty. She smiled too much, and was quick to praise Enid or laugh at one of her jokes, in a way that almost felt sincere.

While Mildred was eating her fifth chocolate dipped strawberry, Enid's eyes lit up with an idea.

"Mildred," Enid said. "HB's been stressing you out lately, hasn't she?"

"I don't know, maybe." Mildred said, enjoying the food too much to give Enid's words much thought.

"I think I know what we can do to help you," Enid said, turning to the babysitter. "You don't mind helping us out, do you?"

"No, of course not," The babysitter laughed in a way that sounded nervous, revealing all of her straight teeth.

"Good." Enid said.

After Mildred had eaten so much she thought she was going to throw up, Enid took Mildred's hand, and took the babysitter's wrist. "Come along, then," Enid said. She tugged them along the hall until they reached a potions lab that looked almost exactly like Miss Hardbroom's.

"Woah," Mildred couldn't help but say.

"I know right," Enid said. "A bit unoriginal. But I thought practicing my potions in a place that looked like where I'd be doing them for school would help. That way when I'm in the actual potions lab at Cackle's I'm more used to it and can feel less nervous."

"I guess HB makes everyone nervous," Mildred said. She didn't think of Enid as the type of person to be easily intimidated. "She's really not that bad of a person though."

"She's definitely a drama queen," Enid said, peering into one of the cauldrons. "I should know, I'm around them all the time, what with my parents being into showbiz and all."

Enid waved her hand and a bunch of ingredients appeared on the table next to the cauldron. Including a pile of sleek long black hair kept together with hairbands.

"Enid," Mildred said nervously. "Where did you get that hair?"

"I found a strand of Miss Hardbroom's hair on her desk at the end of last year. I duplicated it so that I would never run out."

"But, why do you need it?"

"When I practice potions, I want to practice Miss Hardbroom scaring me, so I make a potion for the babysitter to take that makes her look like Miss Hardbroom."

"And you're, okay with this?" Mildred said, turning to the babysitter.

The babysitter smiled with all of her teeth and nodded.

Mildred rolled her eyes. "But, why would I want to see Miss Hardbroom, when I'm just going to see her anyway at the end of the day?"

"Because _we_ are going to have a little fun with Miss Hardbroom," Enid said, dropping an ingredient into the cauldron. The cauldron hissed.

"I'm not sure about this, Enid. What if Miss Hardbroom finds out?"

"How would she find out? Besides, it's not as if we'll be doing anything to _the actual Miss Hardbroom_. So how can we get into trouble anyway?"

Mildred watched as Enid brew the potion. "Wow, you've really gotten good at that."

Enid rolled her eyes. "Well, I had to improve a little, didn't I? I don't want to get expelled from Cackle's by failing my marks next year. I do have to be serious sometimes." With that, she lifted the ladle. "Ah, I think it's ready. Come over here, please."

The babysitter quickly hurried over. She made a disgusted face as she sipped the potion. Enid smiled as she drank it all down. Then a Miss Hardbroom who smiled with all of her teeth stood before them.

Mildred jumped in spite of herself. Though the babysitter's demeaner was nothing like the real Miss Hardbroom's, it was always nerve-racking to see the powerful witch appear when she was in the middle of performing some mischief.

"I know right," Enid laughed. "A bit scary even when she's fake. Normally I would tell her to smile less, but I think today it's okay. We're about to give Miss Hardbroom a makeover. Remember that rainbow hair project Felicity did last year? Don't you think rainbow hair would look wonderful on Miss Hardbroom?"

Mildred couldn't help but giggle and enjoy herself as they took Miss Hardbroom's hair out of her bun and painted strands of it different colors. Miss Hardbroom seemed to be nervously enjoying herself as well.

"This is so great girls," she said. "I love how creative you are. You seem to know the perfect ways to handle stress."

"Miss Hardbroom," Enid said. "Would you mind saying: 'I love Miss Pentangle'"

"I love Miss Pentangle," Miss Hardbroom said.

"No!" Mildred said. "It's not Miss Pentangle, it's Pipsqueak!" Mildred couldn't help but burst into nervous laughter.

"I love Pipsqueak," Miss Hardbroom said.

Mildred and Enid laughed. Mildred's laughter felt uncontrollable she was so nervous.

They painted Miss Hardbroom's cheeks with red lipstick and finished off her makeover with a red clown nose.

"Okay, perfect!" Enid said. "Now teach us potions!"

The babysitter did her best impression of dramatically striding around the room. Mildred thought she looked too nervous.

"Isn't she great?" Enid said. "I've been teaching her."

"Ye-yeah," Mildred said. "I mean, there's still room for improvement, but everyone takes time to learn new things!"

Enid clapped at the end of her babysitter's performance. "Well done! Well done, Miss Hardbroom!"

Enid pulled them into the center of the potions lab and snapped a picture. Mildred giggled nervously as she looked down at her and Enid smiling beside a clown-faced, rainbow haired Miss Hardbroom.

" _Never_ let Miss Hardbroom see that," Mildred said. "Or we'll both be forced to do a variety of nasty things as punishment, and then she'll expel us anyway."

Enid shook her head and laughed. "I think this might be my favorite photograph."


	23. Chapter 23: Dangerous Magic

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

Mildred sat on her bed. Papers were scattered all over her blankets. She had her sketchbook closed, and a piece of paper on top of the hard cover that she was writing on. She was frowning as she wrote, over and over again: _I must not kiss Enid again._

Miss Pentangle appeared in her room and Mildred looked up, startled. She hurriedly tried to gather up the papers, but one of them flew off the bed and landed at Miss Pentangle's feet. Miss Pentangle picked it up and handed it to her. "Mildred, what's wrong? Are you making yourself write lines?"

Mildred was supposed to be down in the kitchens helping Miss Pentangle make breakfast. "No, I-I"

"Did something happen?"

"Well," Mildred deflated. Maybe Miss Pentangle would understand. "The thing is, me and Enid...well, we're sort of, _together_ now, but I'm afraid if Maud finds out, she'll be upset."

"Hmm." Miss Pentangle sat down on the edge of Mildred's bed thoughtfully. "It can be hard when friendships change, can't it?"

Mildred nodded.

"But that is part of growing up," Pippa said. "I'm sure that Maud will understand."

"I just don't want her to feel left out!"

"Well, sometimes, not everybody can participate in everything, but that doesn't mean we don't still care about them."

"I really don't want to hurt her."

"That's very kind of you, but do you think that perhaps you and Enid would be hurt if you couldn't do the things you wanted to do together just because you were worried about Maud? I can't tell you what to do, you have to make up your own mind. To be perfectly honest, you do seem a little young to be dating, though I suppose that has to be your choice as well. You are getting to that age, Millie. I would hazard a guess that Maud would understand. I definitely don't think you need to punish yourself by writing lines. You must get that from Hecate. Would you like to come down for breakfast? I made pancakes with chocolate chips."

"Thanks Miss Pentangle, I'm sorry I didn't cook with you this morning."

"That's just fine," Miss Pentangle said. "You had other things to worry about. Come here."

Miss Pentangle pulled Mildred into a hug and Mildred grinned, wrapping her arms around her.

"I'm very proud of you, Mildred." Miss Pentangle said. "You're a kind, thoughtful person, and a great friend. You're just the sort of witch that I would want to be my—just the sort of witch I would want to have around."

"You're just the sort of witch I'd want to have around too, Miss Pentangle."

Hecate looked at the two of them curiously as they both appeared before her in the dining hall. "You're late." Her voice was contemplative rather than unkind.

"Well, we're here now," Pippa said.

Pippa and Mildred both took a seat.

"Mildred, did you make the pancakes?" Miss Hardbroom asked.

"No," Mildred said honestly. "Miss Pentangle did. I...well I didn't make breakfast today."

"Why not?"

"I was...well I was worried about Enid and Maud so I was...well I was just, making myself write lines so I would be a better friend."

" _You_ were making _yourself_ write lines?"

"I know it's stupid."

"I used to do that sometimes when I was your age," Miss Hardbroom said. "I actually sometimes occasionally make myself write lines now."

"Really?"

"Yes." Miss Hardbroom smiled a little. "Make sure you eat well. I want to teach you a new part of the shield spell today."

When they were done eating and the dining room was cleared of tables and chairs, Miss Hardbroom began her lesson. Pippa stayed in the room this time, watching them with a smile. Her presence made Millie a little nervous. She didn't want to have to learn something _new_ in front of her. She reasoned it would have been worse if Pippa had been the teacher and Miss Hardbroom the observer.

"Your shield spell has grown strong." Miss Hardbroom said. "What I want you to cast now is a slightly different spell, but it requires similar magical muscles to the ones you use to create and maintain a shield. This spell will cast a protection bubble around you, so that if you are attacked on multiple sides, you can deflect any spell that comes your way. It requires much more of your energy, so it is much more dangerous. You have to be careful not to hold onto it for too long, or you will pass out. The more you use the spell, of course, the longer you can keep it around you without being completely drained."

Miss Hardbroom raised both of her hands, and a clear shiny bubble rose around her. "Pippa, would you mind demonstrating?"

Pippa stood. She circled Miss Hardbroom, sending a volley of spells her way. The bubble absorbed them. Pippa stopped the attack and Miss Hardbroom lowered her protection.

"Now," Miss Hardbroom said, "there is another variation of this spell that you can use that will actually make the spells bounce off your protection and back towards your attackers, but that one, of course, requires more energy. So we will start with this one."

Mildred frowned in concentration as she tried to perform the new spell. At first, all that happened was two shields appeared in front of each hand. Then a large shield appeared between both of her hands that almost covered the entire front side of her body. Miss Hardbroom sent a spell at her and it zoomed around the shield and hit her side, knocking her to the floor.

Mildred lay on her back, all shields gone. "I'm sorry, Miss Hardbroom," she said. "I really am trying."

"Keep trying," Miss Hardbroom said, twisting her wrist.

Miss Hardbroom's magic gripped Mildred, sending her springing back to her feet as if the floor was as bouncy as a trampoline. Mildred couldn't help but giggle a little as her feet made contact with the ground sending energy up her ankles and legs.

Before Mildred could react, Pippa sent a spell her way and Mildred was sprawled on the ground again.

"Sorry," Pippa said. "I thought it might be more realistic if two people were attacking you at once."

"You will have to cast the bubble in a high stress situation, Mildred," Miss Hardbroom said.

Mildred cast a mini shield to deflect the spell Miss Hardbroom sent her way. She scrambled to her feet. She quickly used her other hand to deflect Pippa's spell. She frowned in concentration.

"It's much harder when you only use little shields," Pippa said.

A spell from Miss Hardbroom and a spell from Pippa whizzed around Mildred's two shields. The spells hit her at the same time, knocking her to the ground with so much force that Mildred felt as if she had been pushed over by a car. Blood poured from her nostrils.

Miss Hardbroom frowned.

"I think that might be enough for today," Pippa said.

To their surprise, Mildred stood. Magic flew from her shoulders and hit Miss Pentangle and Miss Hardbroom at the same time. At first Mildred felt relief. Then she looked around and noticed that Miss Hardbroom was flat on her back, unconscious on the floor. Mildred started to rush towards Miss Hardbroom, then she saw that Pippa was unconscious too.

"Oh no, oh no!" Mildred fell to her knees. "What have I done now?"

Black and yellow lights flashed, and an alarm blared.


	24. Chapter 24: Golden Blame

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

Mildred gripped Miss Hardbroom's hand. She instinctively felt her wrist for a pulse, and found one, so that was a relief. She could also see now that, though almost imperceptibly, the powerful witch was breathing. Mildred took a deep breath. She had no idea what spell she had used to harm her birth parents. It had just naturally come out of her, in the heat of battle. She didn't know any healing spells either. Mildred closed her eyes, she imagined drawing the bad magic out of Miss Hardbroom.

Mildred felt tears running down her cheeks. She could feel something coming out of Miss Hardbroom. The magic felt dangerous, as if it were a knife that would cut her if her fingers slipped. She tugged and tugged at the magic. Finally, Miss Hardbroom gasped. The magic seemed to snap like a rubber band, hitting Mildred in the face and Mildred was knocked backward, and unconscious.

When Mildred opened her eyes everything was blurry. She blinked a couple of times. The faces of Miss Hardbroom and Miss Pentangle came into focus. Mildred jumped. "Am I, am I in trouble?" Mildred was ashamed that this was the first thing that came out of her mouth. She should have been overjoyed that her birth parents were alive!

The two witches both laughed, and the sound felt funny against Mildred's ears and mind, as if someone was rubbing a staticky balloon all over her face.

Mildred's arms were pressed against her sides, and she realized she was tucked snuggly and firmly into her bed in her room. "Cause it was an accident."

"We know, dear."

Mildred wasn't sure which one of them had spoken, but it looked like it was Miss Hardbroom.

"How are you feeling?"

That must have been Pippa speaking now, or, no wait, was it Miss Hardbroom?

"My head," Mildred said. Her words felt far away, as if she were listening to someone else speak them.

She felt a comforting hand rub her forehead.

"Shh, I know dear. You'll have to rest up for a while. We're glad you're alright."

"I'm really sorry!" Mildred started struggling in the confines of her bed. Struggling against the confines of her body. Her head really hurt, as if part of it had become a rock. "I don't know what happened!"

"Hush. Calm yourself, dear. Accidents happen all the time in duels. It's nothing for you to worry about right now. You just need to regain your strength."

"We may have pushed you a bit too hard," Mildred recognized Pippa's voice, high and nervous.

"Yes, we'll be more careful next time," Miss Hardbroom said. "But accidents do happen, even when we take the utmost care to prevent them. It _is_ part of the learning process."

"I'm sorry!" Mildred despaired.

"Quiet yourself," Miss Hardbroom said. She placed a comforting hand on Mildred's shoulder.

Mildred felt magic rush through her. Her vision felt golden, the pain was gone, and she was floating in water, golden water colored by the bright, warm sun that was wrapping its arms around her.

Miss Hardbroom looked at Pippa as Mildred began to snore. Miss Hardbroom sighed.

"Hecate, it wasn't your fault," Pippa said.

"I got carried away," Miss Hardbroom said. "I wanted to push her into making that spell, so she could be completely safe in any duel. Her magic reacted, and acted on its own to take out the threats—which was us, this time. We're very lucky she was able to wake me."

"Hiccup, Mildred is lucky to have you as a teacher."

"Yes, well I didn't teach her how to revive an unconscious witch. I should have, I just didn't think it would be necessary."

"You've taught her how to solve problems when she doesn't know what to do. That's a much more important skill. You can't teach her everything there is, but you can teach her how to behave in unclear situations. If you weren't her teacher, Mildred never would have been prepared to save you like that."

"Mildred is strong." Miss Hardbroom said. "She was able to find the magic she had used on me, and extract it. She must not have even known exactly what it was she hit me with, but she was still able to get it out. That is very impressive for a witch her age."

"She's strong because you make her strong." Pippa said. "Because she has the best role model there is."

"Because she has you, Pippa."

"Me?" Pippa laughed. "I teach her how to cook, and fun little spells, and I occasionally help her with friendship drama. You teach her how to survive, you guide her through the hardest parts of life."

"Pippa," Miss Hardbroom said. "Mildred and I, would be nothing, without you."

"Come here," Pippa said.

Miss Hardbroom fell into her lovers embrace and sobbed. "I was so worried."

Pippa cried as well. "Me too. But everything is fine now."

"I don't want to do it anymore," Hecate said.

"I know," Pippa said. "Oh, I know, Hiccup. But you have to, and you will."

"I c-can't let her down now. But I guess, this must be how it feels then. I guess now I know."

"Yes." Pippa said. "How can people watch them get hurt so many times?"

"Maybe they build up an, an immunity?" Miss Hardbroom's voice was hopeful.

"Maybe. Or maybe it never gets any better."

Hecate let out a noise that was half-laugh, half-sob. "Most likely."


	25. Chapter 25: Hers to Fix

**Chapter Twenty-Five**

Miss Hardbroom stayed at Mildred's bedside over the next few days, obsessively monitoring her recovery. Pippa had to order her away every so often and demand that she take care of her own needs for a little while.

"The child is not going to burst into flame if you leave her with me for a few hours," Pippa would chide.

Mildred spent most of her recovery asleep, but not entirely by choice. She would wake up and groggily whine about being a prisoner and wanting to be let out of this bed and this room. When she actually tried to make an escape Hecate would grab her hand before she could snap her fingers and transport. She would touch her long fingers to Mildred's forehead and spell her back to sleep.

Tabby stayed close by. He would sometimes lick Mildred's forehead, and would often curl up by her side or between her legs. Even in sleep, Mildred sensed the warmth of his presence. Sometimes she would wrap her arms around him and he would meow, startled, then lick her wrist with firm, comforting strokes.

"Magical sleep is the best kind of rest for healing," Hecate would often tell Pippa.

Pippa would look at her doubtfully. "Well, I'm glad you are now an expert at healing little witches. I'm sure Mildred can use all of the help she can get."

"I spoke with a healer," Miss Hardbroom said crisply. "She said she would only need to see Mildred if her symptoms worsened."

Pippa smiled. Hecate was very possessive, and didn't want someone else fixing Mildred if she could avoid it. Mildred was now hers to fix.

On the fourth day of her sentence, Mildred woke to Miss Hardbroom's fingers massaging her forehead.

"How does your head feel, Millie?" Miss Hardbroom asked.

"Much better!" Mildred sat up and smiled.

Miss Hardbroom narrowed her eyes. "Are you lying to me?"

Mildred lost her smile. "Uh, no, no Miss Hardbroom. I really am feeling better. Oh, please don't spell me to sleep again! I've been having this recurring dream about a monkey chasing me around, demanding I give him chocolate candy, but I just don't have any chocolate Miss Hardbroom!"

Miss Hardbroom sighed. "I'm not going to spell you. You've been spelled for long enough. It's time for you to start doing simple tasks, and see you how you feel."

"Simple tasks?" Mildred already knew where this was heading.

"Yes. You'll be organizing potions ingredients today. That way I can test your memory, see if there's anything missing that shouldn't be."

"Miss Hardbroom, you know that um, I'm not the best at identifying potions ingredients on a regular day, right?"

"Well, then now's the perfect time for you to review them."

"Can I use magic?"

"No."

"None at all?"

"Not over the next few days. Magical injuries are tricky. After you've been on your feet for a few days I'll have you test out your magic _under my supervision._ If there's anything wrong we'll have to take you to a healer."

"Do you really think it's that serious?"

"I'm not sure. I would hope that it is not. Pippa and I seemed to be just fine, but we are older, and so your magic had less of an affect. I haven't found anything particularly concerning, but if there's something I've missed, it's bound to appear when you do magic."

Pippa appeared in the room. "The little witch is awake!"

"Pippa!" Mildred smiled happily. "Save me from Miss Hardbroom, please! She's going to make me sort potions ingredients!"

"Is she now?" Pippa looked at Hecate. "You couldn't have her do something a bit more fun?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Miss Hardbroom sniffed. "When I was a young witch, I would have been happy to do any activity that would advance my knowledge in some way. Especially my knowledge of potions—or in an area where I was _lacking_ knowledge."

"You never lacked very much knowledge, Hiccup," Pippa said lightly, ignoring the implication that Mildred lacked knowledge in potions.

"Can I cook with Pippa instead?" Mildred asked. "I mean, Miss Pentangle."

"You can cook with Miss Pentangle _after_ you sort potions ingredients," Miss Hardbroom said.

Miss Hardbroom went into full-on teacher mode as Mildred sorted ingredients. She paced around the classroom and glanced at Mildred's work every so often. "Remember to strip the nettles of _all_ of their spikes before combining them with the mangrove's leaves."

"Miss Hardbroom," Mildred complained. "I think my headache is coming back."

Miss Hardbroom stopped in front of her and placed a cold hand on her forehead. Mildred felt magic reaching out and probing her, firm yet also soothing. "You appear to be fine. Return to your work please."

Mildred groaned and continued sorting.

"Mildred, this really should not be so unbearable," Miss Hardbroom scolded with a flutter of something between exasperation and desperation in her voice. "Magic is built off of ordinary things coming together to create something extraordinary. These little plants must be woven together in precisely the right way, and to do this, you must know them, Mildred Hubble. Details matter, when it comes to magic."

"I'm sorry, Miss Hardbroom." Mildred said. "I know I shouldn't complain. I just feel like I'll never be good at potions. I try really hard, but I always miss something, and then everything goes wrong."

"Well, the more you practice paying attention to detail the less likely you are to make one of your..." Miss Hardbroom struggled to find a way to soften what she was going to say next, but, per usual, landed on honesty "simple yet disastrous mistakes."

"My class goal for next year is to not blow up the potions lab, not even once!" Mildred said cheerfully.

"That is quite ambitious of you."

Mildred rubbed sandpaper against the nettle leaves, wincing when she accidentally got nettle spikes in her fingers.

"Be careful!" Miss Hardbroom waved her hand and gloves appeared. "Here," she said, handing them to Mildred, "wear these."

"Thank you, Miss Hardbroom," Mildred said. She put the two fingers into her mouth, trying to reduce the stinging.

Miss Hardbroom sighed. "Let me see."

Mildred held out her hand and Miss Hardbroom waved her own. The sting disappeared.

"Thanks," Mildred said glumly, putting on the gloves. She rubbed at the nettle leaves in frustration. Stray hair from her braids got in her eyes and she blew at it. She wiped at her face to brush the hair away then yelped and jumped back, remembering the gloves had nettle spikes on them.

Miss Hardbroom gave her a stern look.

"Sorry," Mildred said. "I wasn't thinking."

Miss Hardbroom waved her hand and the pain left Mildred's face.

"Maybe," Miss Hardbroom said, looking down at her timepiece. "Nettles wasn't the best idea. Come, why don't you do something that won't end in more injuries."

Mildred huffed and put the gloves down on the table. Her shoulders slumped as Miss Hardbroom guided her out of the room.

"Stop that," Miss Hardbroom said.

"What?" Mildred's face was sulky as she looked at her.

"Stop feeling sorry for yourself."

"I can't do anything right!" Mildred said, stomping her foot without meaning to.

Miss Hardbroom turned and bent so that her face was eye level with her daughter's. "Recovery from magical injuries is not easy. Pouting and feeling sorry for yourself does not help."

Mildred folded her arms. "I hurt you. And Pippa. And there was nothing I could do...I thought you were _dead_." Tears brimmed in Mildred's eyes. "I mess everything up. I hurt everyone who's around me."

"I pushed you too hard—"

"No you didn't! I should have been able to handle it." Mildred sobbed and put her face in her hands.

Miss Hardbroom straightened up, unsure of what to do. She rubbed circles on Mildred's back, barely aware of her movements. Comforting Mildred had become automatic, the same way that protecting her students was something she automatically did. Right now she wanted to put Mildred back to sleep, heal her physical wounds. But Mildred's hysterics were not just a result of her condition. It was bottled up emotions that her condition was helping to bring out. If they weren't dealt with, they would only continue to torment her.

Miss Hardbroom felt very cold.

"Mildred, listen. Listen to me," she pried the girl's hands away from her face. She rubbed her thumb soothingly over the backs of Mildred's hands.

Mildred opened her eyes and blinked at her, tears still streaming.

"You feel awful right now because you have been in magical sleep for a long time and because you have a magical injury. You also feel that you don't belong here."

Mildred's crying had quieted as she listened and now lurched to a stop.

Miss Hardbroom hoped that in her state, simple words would be the best comfort. "Mildred, you do belong here."

She pulled her daughter into a hug and Mildred held on tightly. Mildred's brain was overwhelmed with comfort and the words seemed to travel through her brain like warm blood that was soon carried all over her body.

"I love you," Mildred said. "I'm so glad you're not dead."

Miss Hardbroom stiffened then was able to relax. "I love you to, Mildred. Pippa and I are very grateful that you are alive."

 **Author's Note:** I'm so sorry it has been so so long since I have updated this! I had planned on finishing this before the summer was over! I had a death in the family. I haven't been able to work on this story until now because I had originally written it in some of the last months that they were alive. I miss them.


	26. Chapter 26: Transformative Dreams

**Chapter Twenty-Six**

Mildred tried her best to keep her spirits up, but she quickly found herself in a bad mood. Everything irritated her. She felt as if her brain was an animal shelter, her emotions were cats and dogs, and all of the cages were open and all of the feelings were running wild, yowling, and getting into fights with each other.

Miss Hardbroom noticed that Mildred was pouting during dinner. "Mildred, is something wrong?" Miss Hardbroom's tone was warning.

"No, I just—" Mildred let out a frustrated breath. She had no words to explain how she felt. "I'm just not hungry."

"Mildred," Miss Hardbroom said slowly. "It is important that you eat. For your recovery—"

"Hecate." Pippa held up her hand and cut her off. "Why don't I take Millie on a walk, hmm? Some fresh air could be good for the girl. She's been in bed for too long."

Miss Hardbroom's eyebrows raised and she stared down at her own plate, pursing her lips. "Fine," she said curtly.

"Come with me, dear," Pippa said, standing up.

Mildred found herself folding her arms across her chest protectively. Her irritation was turning to anxiety.

Pippa said nothing as they strolled through the castle halls. Mildred found the sound of their footsteps somewhat comforting. Pippa's heels clicking against stone, and her own boots, solid and sturdy against the ground.

Mildred shivered and shuddered when they were outside. The cold air felt good on her skin, but it also felt disgusting.

"Pippa?"

"Yes, dear."

"I feel all twisted up inside. I feel things that I don't know why I'm feeling. I'm losing control. Do you think my, do you think my magic is broken?"

Pippa laughed. "No, no! It's not broken dear. It's just rearranging itself. Resettling."

"What if the witches from Broomhead's coven come after me when I'm like this?"

"Mildred, there's something I've been meaning to explain to you. Something that it's best not to talk about with your—" Pippa sighed. "With our Hecate."

"What is it?"

"Well, if I tell you you have to promise to still take your lessons seriously."

"Of course I will!" Mildred was offended that Pippa would believe otherwise.

"Your—Hecate, spent a significant portion of her life trying to protect you. She believed that to do that she had to distance herself from you, keep you away from her and the magical world. Broomhead traumatized her deeply, filled her with a terrible fear. But...I think that it is highly likely that whatever danger there was...has past. Hecate is working so hard to train you because she doesn't want to believe that those years that she could have been with you but wasn't—she doesn't want to have to face the fact that maybe, she _could_ have stayed with you Mildred. So she's overestimated the danger in order to justify her past actions."

"But how do you know that Broomhead's covens not still out there?" Mildred felt anger coming on. "You weren't even _with_ my—Hecate when it all happened!" Mildred said accusingly. "It was someone else who died."

A flame erupted from the ground and both witches jumped apart from each other as sparks flew. Mildred realized her shoulders were very tense and relaxed them.

"Sorry. About the fire. I didn't mean to—"

"I know," Pippa said. "I'm sorry too. I didn't mean to criticize your—Hecate. It's just that I think our Hecate has lived a life of fear and secrecy for too long, and I don't want you to be forced into that way of living! Danger may be out there but that's true no matter who you are! And if others knew who you were, perhaps they could only protect you."

"You want to find a way to break the spell and expose the secret!"

"Yes, Mildred. But it's more than that. I want our Hecate to find a way to overcome her fear from the past. I want her to make the choice herself to release us all. It is her secret. I think it also has to be her decision."

Mildred nodded. "That's fair."

"It's not entirely fair to you," Pippa said. "None of this is!"

"I love having the two of you in my life and I don't care if it's difficult sometimes," Mildred said determinedly. "All I have to do is prove to Miss Hardbroom that I can protect myself, then she won't be scared anymore and she can release the secret. It's simple!"

"I don't think any of this is simple, but that optimistic attitude will take you far, Mildred."

"I think you need to talk to our Hecate about this." Mildred said. "Going behind her back isn't right. Maybe you could ask her to research the members of Broomhead's coven—see if any of them are still alive. If Broomhead was a murderer, perhaps they're criminals as well and the Great Wizard can lock them up."

"The magical community is not as fair as it should be. The Great Wizard may have a great name, but he's not usually who you want to go to for help. There are witches—witches like you and me, and Hecate, who would be glad to protect a magical child. You're probably not the only one of your kind out there Mildred. They're probably all in hiding. But _we_ can change that, Mildred."

Pippa suddenly reached out and grabbed Mildred's arm, transferring them away. Mildred found herself in a small, familiar cottage.

Pippa laughed evilly, and began to transform.

"Ethel?" Mildred asked.

"Mildred, dear, are you okay?"

Mildred's eyes flew open and she sat up with a start. Pippa was seated beside her, Miss Hardbroom was across from her. They both wore expressions of concern.

"I had a dream but I think it was real," Mildred was shaking.

Pippa rubbed her shoulder.

"Your dreams are becoming more intense as your magic resettles—" Miss Hardbroom began.

"No!" Mildred slammed her fist on the table and her porridge flew up into the air in a magical geyser.

Miss Hardbroom raised a finger and the porridge froze.

"It was real. I think someone from Broomhead's coven knows who I am." Mildred stood up and started pacing. "Either that or, there's something hunting magical children, and they've sent some kind of message to me! The dream was too real Miss Hardbroom!"

Miss Hardbroom flicked her finger down and the porridge went back into the bowl.

"You are displaying signs of paranoia, Mildred, which can be a side effect of malnutrition."

Mildred placed both hands on the table to brace herself and the bowl of porridge went skidding down the table to slam into the floor. "Ooops. I didn't mean to do that I swear!"

"Mildred we know!" Pippa said. "Honestly, Hecate, I think we need to take her to a healer!"

Miss Hardbroom sniffed.

"Mildred," Pippa said. "Why don't you sit down and explain exactly what happened in the dream."

Mildred let out a breath then sat back down. "The thing is," Mildred looked at Pippa carefully. "In the dream, you were taking me for a walk. And you told me that you thought I wasn't in danger from the coven, and that—" Mildred forced herself to look at Miss Hardbroom. "That you should tell everyone your secret."

Miss Hardbroom's eyebrows were raised painfully high.

"Don't you think someone could have sent a dream like that, if exposing the secret is still really dangerous?" Mildred asked.

"I—" Miss Hardbroom looked down at the table. "I confess that I don't know. But Pippa is right. We'll have to take you to a healer or—actually, I'll summon one here. She should be able to tell us if your magical injury was...severe enough to disrupt the protective spells placed on you."

"I'm afraid to go back to sleep," Mildred confessed.

Pippa wrapped an arm around her tightly.

"You won't have to," Miss Hardbroom said. "At least not before the healer checks you over. She'll be here in an hour or so." With that Miss Hardbroom disappeared in a cloud of black smoke.

"Where did she go?" Mildred asked, feeling her stress building, dizziness encroaching at the edges of her vision.

"It's okay, Millie dear," Pippa said, rubbing her back, and for a moment Mildred thought she sounded like her mum, the woman who had raised her, that is. "She'll be back soon. She's just gone to get the healer."

"Oh," Mildred said. She felt herself relaxing into Pippa's arms. She fought to keep her eyes open, as her mind began to drift away.


	27. Chapter 27: Deliver and Divide

**Chapter Twenty-Seven**

Mildred was lying down on the bench with her head in Pippa's lap when the healer and Miss Hardbroom appeared. Pippa hadn't wanted to move her.

The healer had short blonde hair and eyes like enchanted water. She radiated calmness and kindness, but there was a practicality about her which assured that she was trustworthy and efficient.

Pippa could see why Miss Hardbroom would choose no other healer.

"Hmmm," Imogen leaned over Mildred, her hand hovering just above her. "Interesting."

"Can you wake her?" Pippa asked.

"No, it wouldn't be a good idea in her current condition. Her magic is mingling with her dreams. She's gaining strength and power from her dreams, but if it continues on like this, she won't be able to tell the difference between dream and reality."

"You can reverse these effects," Miss Hardbroom said.

"I can only attempt to."

"But what would cause something like this?" Pippa asked.

Imogen's eyes flicked from hers to Miss Hardbroom's. "Prolonged magical sleep. Combined with her injury...I'm so sorry to have to tell you this."

Miss Hardbroom's hands moved up to her face and she sucked in a breath, turning away from Imogen and Pippa.

"How can you heal her?" Pippa asked. "What will you have to do?"

"Well...what needs to happen is that Mildred needs to recognize that her dreams are not reality. Someone will have to enter her dreams, and convince her of this. Once this is done, it will be safe to begin the process of separating her magic from her dreams. Magical dreams are exceptionally dangerous. Luckily, I can refer you to a dream specialist—my wife actually, who can enter her mind without a problem—"

"No." Miss Hardbroom said. She turned back around to face them. "I shall do it."

"Travel into dreams is exceptionally dangerous, Miss Hardbroom, even for a trained professional like my wife."

Miss Hardbroom was shaking her head. "It matters not. _I_ did this to her. _I must_ be the one to fix it."

"Hecate, no!" Pippa exclaimed. "I can't bear the thought of losing her and you."

Mildred stirred in her sleep and let out a little moan. Pippa gazed down at her and stroked her forehead. "It's too dangerous Hecate," Pippa whispered, eyes not leaving the child. "Mildred wouldn't want you to—"

"It's not her decision. I'm her protector. It is mine."

Imogen let out a heavy sigh. "If you insist my wife could train you and travel with you. But the longer we wait, the less chance there is of…"

"I will go alone. Cast the spell on me to send me into her dreams at once."

"You do understand that if you cannot convince her that the dream world is fake and this is the real one, that the two of you will be lost to a magical coma…indefinitely."

"I…I understand."

"I cannot be the one to cast the spell," Imogen continued. "It would go against the healer's code. However, I can teach your wife," Imogen glanced at Pippa and no one bothered to correct her—Pippa may as well be called her wife, even if she wasn't officially, "and she can cast the spell."

Hecate sank to her knees in front of Pippa and took one of the witch's hands. "Pippa, please. I am the only one who can convince her of the truth, and you know it. Her dream is being fueled over her feelings about the secret, her fears and her...wishes for a different life. I am the only one who can make this right. Please...I'm begging you, Pippa. To trust me."

Pippa squeezed one of Hecate's hands, tears shining in her eyes. "Hiccup..."

"We're running out of time." Hecate said. "Please."

"I love you," Pippa whispered.

She sniffed and turned to look at the healer. "Tell me what I need to do."

The healer helped Pippa move the chairs out of the way and drag another bench over to the other side of the table. Hecate lay down on it, so that Mildred and her heads were on the same plane, the table between them.

Imogen and Pippa sat on the table, their legs crossed.

"Now, you and your magic will be like the channel that allows their minds to connect. After Hecate's consciousness has passed over into Mildred's the first spell will be complete. When Mildred awakes, you will need to cast the second spell to return Hecate's consciousness with her own body. It will not breach my code to help you cast the second spell, or any spells necessary to wake Mildred up, but the first spell must be cast by you. Because you are casting the first spell, you must also at least assist in putting Hecate's consciousness back into her body. Does that make sense?"

"Yes."

"Okay. The words for the spell are as follows." Imogen conjured a paper and letters began to appear across it. "And these are the movements." Imogen conjured another paper where an animated witch that looked like an Imogen without eyes was demonstrating hand motions. "But it is the mindset that is essential. You must feel Hecate's essence pass through you, carry it, and deliver it to Mildred's essence. You must not mix their minds up, or they will go insane, lose themselves, become one distorted person. You must deliver and keep divided? Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Okay." Imogen took a deep breath. "When you are ready, then. Good luck, Pippa. May the elements guide you."


	28. Chapter 28: Stay

**Chapter Twenty-Eight**

Miss Hardbroom found herself standing in the living room of an apartment. Her heart lurched painfully up towards her throat. A young Mildred, who must have been about six years old, was kneeling on the floor, using the coffee table to draw. Miss Hardbroom reached out a hand towards her instinctively then pulled it back. Some invisible shield had stung it. Mildred was keeping her out.

She watched as the young girl turned to a different version of herself. Smiling calmly, curly hair loose and around her shoulders. Jealousy burned within Miss Hardbroom. This woman was everything she could never be.

"Mommy," Mildred said. "Look what I made."

Miss Hardbroom felt tears coming to her eyes at the use of the word. She wiped at her face as she watched young Mildred climb into the better her's lap. She listened to the woman's soft praise, and felt Mildred's uncontained glee. The simple life they could have had together.

Miss Hardbroom was about to turn her back on them, unsure that she could bear to watch anymore, when the bright light from the window was shadowed by darkened clouds. A shadow zoomed through the window, breaking glass. Young Mildred screamed.

Miss Hardbroom attempted to throw herself between Mildred and the shadow, the barrier was still keeping her out. "NO!"

The shadow was forming into a familiar person. Miss Hardbroom sank to her knees as Broomhead approached her daughter and the other version of herself.

Laughter filled the room.

"You thought you could hide from _me_ Hecate?"

The loose-haired Hecate had shoved Mildred behind her back protectively.

"M-Mistress Broomhead, I beg your forgiveness. Do what you will with me, but please, do not harm the child. This is not what you think it is."

"Really? So she is not an abomination then? A child made by unnatural magical means?"

"No. She is not. That child did exist—but died."

Broomhead's eyes glinted. "You never were a skilled liar, Hecate."

Broomhead reached up to place a hand on Hecate's cheek. Her finger intertwined with a curl, then she moved her wrist just slightly, magic flowed from her hands and there was a sickening crack.

"MOM!" Mildred screamed as Hecate fell to the ground.

"MILDRED!" Miss Hardbroom banged on the barrier with both fists. "IT'S JUST A DREAM! IT'S JUST A DREAM, LET ME IN!"

The barrier crumbled and Miss Hardbroom rushed forward, waving away Broomhead who had returned to shadow. Miss Hardbroom knelt beside Mildred who sobbed into her arms.

" _Mom_."

"I'm right here, Mildred, I'm right here."

"But you're not, are you?" Mildred's eyes glistened as she looked from the dead Hecate still lying on the ground to the eyes of the woman who was holding her. "You're a delusion created by Broomhead."

"No, no Mildred. _I_ am real. I am the only real thing in this dream other than you."

"If you were real I wouldn't be able to call you mom."

Mildred looked down to where she was holding Miss Hardbroom's hand.

"You're not Miss Hardbroom." Mildred let the hand go. "You're Broomhead."

Mildred stood up.

"No, Mildred..."

"You won't catch me, I won't let you." Mildred turned her back and started to run.

"No, Mildred, Mildred wait!"

But the dream was already fading around the girl who was running away, and taking another shape.

It was hard to tell if they were outside or inside. The walls around them were dark, reddish brown and black. They might have been in a forest with no stars in sight, or a tunnel too warm to be damp.

A shape twisted up from the ground. It might have been a snake, or the tail of a tiger. Mildred reached out towards it, and grabbed on.

Miss Hardbroom reached out towards Mildred, but kept herself from touching her. She wanted to pull her back, and away from whatever this thing was, but she recognized that she was not in control of this place.

It transformed into a vine, and a gigantic plant was rising out of the earth. The darkness turned green, and the sky could be seen above them. A greyish color that looked like smoke but tasted indifferent, hovered among the evergreen trees.

"Mildred," Miss Hardbroom tried tentatively.

Mildred looked back at her, smiled, and began climbing the plant. Moving up it, towards the glowing purple flower near the top, larger than her head.

Miss Hardbroom sighed. Mildred looked so innocent, so carefree. A contrast to the girl who had dutifully endured her lessons. Carried the burden of her mother's mistakes. Maybe there was a reason why Mildred would _want_ to stay here, in dream world.

Miss Hardbroom didn't know if it would work, but she had to try. She raised her hands and closed her eyes. "Mildred, I take from you, the burden I have placed in your blood. I hereby set you free from the knowledge I so selfishly—"

"What are you doing?"

Miss Hardbroom opened her eyes and Mildred was standing beside her. The dreamscape transformed into Miss Hardbroom's potion lab. Without thinking, Miss Hardbroom took a seat at her desk and gestured for Mildred to take the chair across from her. One final lesson before...

Miss Hardbroom folded her hands together on her desk. Mildred was looking at her expectantly, smiling a little, as if nothing in the world could possibly bother her again.

Miss Hardbroom sighed. She felt tears rising in her eyes and blinked against them. "Mildred," she said finally. "I have done you many great and terrible wrongs."

Mildred looked sincerely confused in such a way that made Miss Hardbroom nearly certain that it was fake. "What do you mean, Mom?"

Miss Hardbroom shuddered. There was something dark in Mildred's tone that contrasted with her demeanor, that let her know that Mildred was very aware of everything.

"It wasn't right to tell you—I. It wasn't right to force you. To force all of this on you."

"All of what?" Now Mildred's innocence was dropped and her face looked cold. A coldness that was much too mature for her young age, like a flower frozen in a polar vortex that never should have touched it.

"How would you feel if I—if I took the memories away?"

"But you're Broomhead!" Mildred stomped her foot on the ground, losing her composure.

"I'm not Broomhead. Mildred—I—I'm your mother, Mildred. I am."

"But how can I believe that that's true?"

"Because..." Hecate thought for a moment, letting her eyes drift over the cauldrons in Mildred's dream. They weren't quite in the right order or place, but they were surprisingly close to being accurate, and it sent a pang of pain through her, knowing how much her daughter thought of this place—idealized it and her. "Because," Miss Hardbroom swallowed and continued in a soft, level tone. "Broomhead doesn't know that you wanted me to be your American Mom, instead of mum. Because Broomhead doesn't know that you're an incredible artist, and she doesn't know that I would do anything, anything Mildred, to keep you safe and...and to make you happy."

 _And because Broomhead is dead._ Miss Hardbroom thought, feeling a sturdy acceptance, the one solid thing she could rest her mind on in her daughter's hazy dream.

"But—if you are Broomhead, you could take my memories and, and hurt us all!"

"Mildred, do you remember what my magic feels like?"

"I—" distrust fell across her face. "Yes." she said the world like she was setting down a heavy stone, and her arms were sore from carrying it.

Miss Hardbroom winced. Her magic had not always been used on her daughter for good. She reached out her hand. Mildred shrank back. Hecate let her hand slide halfway across the table and stopped.

Mildred stared at it, debating. She looked up at Hecate, then back down at the hand.

Mildred suddenly—like she was trying to be the first person to slap a card laid out on the table—reached out across the desk and took her hand.

Pink magic sprang from their clasped hands, crawling up Hecate and Mildred's united arms and resting at their elbows. The desk and chairs they sat on began to rotate as if they were on a two-person merry-go-round.

The desk was gone and the two of them were pulled together. Spinning and spinning in white nothingness, Mildred's expectant eyes locked on hers. Then the white nothingness became a bed and Hecate was plopped down on it. Mildred was staring into her eyes, then shrinking and sinking into her. Hecate could no longer see Mildred, but she could feel that she was there, then came a horrible pain that seemed to last forever, each moment reaching infinity before the next one struck.

Then Mildred, gooey and fragile, was in her arms. "Mommy, Mommy, it is you!"

She clasped onto her dress, and Hecate smiled down at her softly. She had birthed her daughter when she was a baby, she hadn't expected she would need to again when she was an adolescent. "Now that you remember, are you ready to forget?"

Mildred clasped her tightly, but nodded, quick and urgent. She needed it, but she couldn't say it.

Miss Hardbroom kissed her on the forehead. A blinding light pierced the dream, and the two witches woke up.


	29. Chapter 29: Ours

**Chapter Twenty-Nine**

Miss Hardbroom woke in her own body to the redness of her eyelids. She was unable to move. Her consciousness had safely returned to her body, but it seemed that her senses were taking their sweet time. She could feel Pippa watching her, squeezing her hand. She wanted nothing more than to squeeze back. She began to hear her voice, murmuring. "Hecate, I love you, so, so much. Please, please don't leave me on this earth alone."

With an effort that nearly broke her magic in half, Hecate reached out and slammed back down into her body. Control was hers and she squeezed Pippa's hand and blinked quickly against the light.

"Hecate! Oh Hecate is that you!" Pippa was kissing her forehead. "I was so sure that I had lost you. That I had messed something up!" Now she was sobbing. "It was all on me, and if I had lost you, you would be gone forever...lost in another's head..."

"Pippa," Hecate managed to whisper. "You need to...let me up, let me up."

Pippa didn't seem to understand, but by some miracle Hecate managed to get to her feet and rush to Mildred's side.

Mildred's eyes were open and she was staring at the ceiling blankly, like a dead fish. Imogen was holding on to her arm, watching her with concerned eyes.

Miss Hardbroom inhaled and put on her teacher demeanor. "Mildred Hubble." Her tone was soft but deadly serious.

Mildred gasped and her head jolted to the right. "Miss Hardbroom, I—what's going on?"

Miss Hardbroom gave her a little smile. "You were ill. You're healed now."

"But...why am I lying on the table?" Mildred was actually lying on a bench and Hecate opened her mouth to correct her then closed it again. Mildred sat up and examined her hands. "Have I gotten food poisoning?"

"You mean you don't remem—" Pippa began.

Miss Hardbroom held up a hand to silence her. "We'll discuss it later," she turned quickly to Pippa to say.

"Mildred, you caught a magical virus." Hecate gave Imogen a stern look, who returned with a glare even fiercer.

"Just my luck I suppose," Mildred said. "I feel fine now though. Better than fine. I feel new! Was, was anyone else infected?"

"No." Miss Hardbroom shared a meaningful look with Pippa who smiled. "Fortunately, not."

Pippa tucked Mildred into bed in her room, and Hecate strolled along outside the castle with Imogen.

"I can't believe I let you do that. It went against my better judgement, I shouldn't even be allowed to be a healer anymore!"

"I want to thank you. Without you, Mildred would be dead."

"Yes well, I don't think I can be employed as your healer anymore. I'm sorry, Hecate."

"I understand."

Imogen waved her arm and Hecate got one last glimpse of her livid expression before she was gone.

Miss Hardbroom cast her own spell and appeared in Mildred's bedroom. Mildred giggled when she saw her.

"What are you doing here, Miss Hardbroom?" Mildred asked.

"I was just...just checking up on you. We were both very worried."

"You worry a lot Miss Hardbroom, don't you?"

"I—"

"You worry more than my mum."

Hecate set her lips and bit down on her tongue. She wondered if one day it wouldn't sting. She hoped that day would never come. If she didn't feel pain over this, surely it would mean she would feel nothing.

Pippa swept over to Hecate and kissed her on the cheek. "Hecate takes great care of our little witch, doesn't she?"

Mildred giggled as Hecate stiffened and blushed. "You've both taken great care of silly old me this summer. I want to thank you."

"You're very welcome," Miss Hardbroom said. She found herself taking Pippa's hand and clasping it tightly. "Have a good night, Mildred."

Hecate transferred her and Pippa away.

"Hiccup! Why would you? Don't you think we should stay with her a little longer?"

"I think Mildred can manage on her own for now."

"Yes, well she just almost died. Our one! How did you manage to save her life anyway?"

"Pippa..." Miss Hardbroom flexed her hands and clasped them together. She looked around for a place to sit, barely aware of the location she had transferred them too. She realized it was the teacher's lounge, almost unrecognizable in the darkness, leeched of color.

Miss Hardbroom raised a fireball in her hand and sent it up to hover around the ceiling. Then she collapsed into one of the overly comfy armchairs that she never would have felt dignified enough to sit in during the school year, because they were so soft and padded it was impossible to sit up straight while in them. She was sure they were some kind of joke played by Ada—she wouldn't even be surprised if they were magicked to make it impossible to keep an astute posture when in one.

"Hecate..." Pippa stood over her. "Tell me that I want to know what happened. Tell me that you didn't have to do something horrible."

"I had to do something unforgiveable, Pippa. Again."

Pippa deflated and sat down right where she was, on the floor. She hugged her knees and shook. "I thought I would never see you again. And Mildred—I"

Hecate reached out her hand towards her but Pippa was too far away to touch. So she sent her magic in an electric blue stream, a special kind of comfort-magic shared only between lovers.

Pippa sighed, shoulders rising and falling. Breath like defrosting ice in her lungs.

"Pippa, there was no other way. And she agreed to it. This time it was her choice. And I want you to make the same choice, but I won't force you."

Pippa looked up at Hecate, hurt and betrayal in her eyes. "What choice?"

But Hecate was sure that she already knew.

"Mildred gave up her memories. Her memories of me—of us. It wasn't her burden to carry. It was wrong of me to ever force it upon her. I told her because I wanted her to love me. Because I didn't want her to be without me and because I—because I didn't want to be alone. But it's not worth her childhood—her life. I did everything I did to protect her, to give her a life. Now I want to give her a good life. And she can't have that if she knows the full truth."

"But—you—we're LYING!" Pippa's face went deranged with pain. "To HER! To ME! _Hiccup, I—_ "

"You went through pain tonight. Unbelievable pain. And I can take that away—Pippa."

"She's OURs, Hecate..."

"No." Miss Hardbroom was shaking her head. "No. She can't be. She once was—mine. Yours even for a little, perhaps ours. But she'll never be again. She can't. It just wouldn't work, it wouldn't be best."

"Who cares about _best_ , and _good_ , and _right_?" Pippa stood up and paced the room, the fire casting lines of light across her face. "What about my _heart_ , Hiccup?"

Pippa's face was inches away from her own. Hecate closed her eyes in defeat. "I'm sorry," was all she could say. "I'm so sorry, Pippa." Then the tears began leaking down onto her face and Pippa was beside her, their bodies jumbling into a mess of tears and overstuffed cushions until Hecate didn't know which salted liquid belonged to her and which belonged to Pippa.


	30. Chapter 30: Ice Cream Solves Everything

**Chapter Thirty**

Julie Hubble sat in the teachers' lounge where Pippa Pentangle was making idle small talk with her. When Hecate entered the room—on foot—the chatter died away.

Hecate was as intimidating as a bat soaring over a beetle, her composure forcefully in place. Pippa was as friendly and cheerful as she would be if she had never met Mildred Hubble, but even so, Hecate could see the cracks in her smile.

Julie Hubble couldn't figure out what it was exactly, but she did notice that there was something off about them.

"We have called you here to inform you of the latest disaster," Miss Hardbroom said, taking a seat.

"Oh, well, what is it this time? If it's a potions lab I daresay I can't pay for it."

Miss Hardbroom forced a strange smile that was not like her. She thought better of sitting down and began to pace the room, turning sharply as she did so. "Mildred's memories have been removed."

Julie Hubble was speechless, mouth left open like a tunnel to nowhere.

"I—" Pippa began, placing a hand on Julie's arm. "There was an incident. Mildred was lost in dreamworld. She couldn't distinguish," Pippa coughed and cleared her throat. "She didn't know what was real, so Hecate did what she, what she had to do to save her."

Julie looked from Hecate to Pippa helplessly. "Millie...my Millie."

"Not-not all of her memories were removed," Pippa said. "Just the ones causing the problem. The ones that let her know that Hecate and I..."

Julie took a breath. "Where is she? Can I see her? I need to see her." She started to rise from the chair but Pippa stopped her.

"Wait—that's actually what we need to discuss with you. Before you see her."

Miss Hardbroom pressed her fingers into her forehead. She waved her hand and transported the three of them.

Mildred's back was to them when they transferred into the potion's lab. She was covered in goo from cleaning out cauldrons and sorting ingredients, and her hair was a mess.

"Millie!"

"Mum! You're here!"

They rushed towards each other and embraced, looking very much like relatives in their actions and demeanors.

"Mildred, we need to discuss your illness with your mother." Pippa said. She gave Hecate's hand a squeeze, recognizing that her lover was speechless, and barely withstanding the blow of Mildred and her mother's happiness. "Then we'll bring her right back to you, okay?"

"Okay! Don't take too long though, I want to teach Mum how to sort potions ingredients."

Miss Hardbroom waved her hand and the three adults were back in the teachers' lounge. "As you can see...Mildred is...herself."

"Completely unharmed," Pippa said. "Cheerful, loving life!"

"But you took away her memories? Her control?"

"No, well, she agreed to it, see. Hecate asked her permission first."

"Her permission?! You can get _permission_ for something like that. Consensual memory erasure?"

"Yes." Miss Hardbroom said stiffly. "You can. And we want it from you. It's what we've brought you here to ask you: will you give up your memory of the knowledge that—of Mildred's origins."

"That's a lot to ask." Julie Hubble stared at the floor carefully. "I don't want to know something unless Mildred knows it," she said slowly. "But I also don't feel comfortable with the idea of magic meddling in my memories. I don't feel that it was right for Mildred either."

"The situation is difficult to entirely explain to a...nonmagical person." Miss Hardbroom said. "If Mildred had not relinquished her memories, she would have been lost forever. The fear of Broomhead killing her caused significant stress. And because of Mildred's...origins, she has more power than any other witch her age I've ever met. And power does not mingle well with stress."

"Hecate's idea was to erase yours, and Mildred's and my memory of the knowledge of Mildred's true origins completely," Pippa said. "I, however, have another idea."

Hecate looked at her in shock. "You—have?"

"It's not as _safe_ —"

Hecate rolled her eyes at the way Pippa emphasized the word, knowing full well what she meant by it.

"As Hecate's proposition, but it is perhaps more _moral_. It would be risky, unprecedented—not unlike Mildred herself in fact. I didn't discuss it with Hecate prior to this meeting because I knew she would hate the idea, and I felt that, as her mother, Julie, you deserve a vote in this just as much as me or Hecate. I propose, that rather than _erase_ the memories completely, we quarantine them. Every summer, for a week, Mildred, I and you, Julie, will remember that Mildred is—will remember Mildred's unique origins. The ridiculous spell binding us to secrecy will be lifted, and Mildred free to call as whatever she likes—but only for a week. Until she is of age. Then she gets to decide for herself what is done with the memories—including ours. It's only fair, considering how much we meddled with hers. Hecate's memories won't be erased or quarantined under the condition that she follow the terms of the agreement which will be magically binding."

Hecate searched her mind for an insult, a rebuke, a rebuttal. All she could conjure were memories of Pippa admitting her interest in law school, and right now, Hecate could see very clearly that Pippa would have made a stunning lawyer.

Hecate found herself spluttering through some explanation about the dangers of quarantined memories, the unknown of how they would mix with Mildred's magic—but she barely heard her words and knew that she had already lost. There was no way that a mother would erase their child's memories when such a reasonable solution to the problem was being presented. Hecate felt love and excitement, beating together in her heart, forming into hope, and she realized she was crying. Then she was being hugged, not just by Pippa, but by Julie as well.

*l**l*l*l**l*

Miss Hardbroom knocked on Mildred's door. When Mildred opened it, Miss Hardbroom could see that the room was half-empty. Mildred's trunk was open, filled with clothing but none of them were folded. Miss Hardbroom flicked her fingers and suddenly they were.

"Thanks, Miss Hardbroom," Mildred said, smiling apologetically.

Miss Hardbroom turned her back on Mildred and cast her eyes around the room. It was taking all of her self-control not to cry.

"I can see your packing is...coming along."

"It is, Miss Hardbroom. Sorry I'm so slow."

Miss Hardbroom looked at her clock, just to have something to look at. "Take your time." Finally her eyes found Mildred's.

Mildred looked bright, new. The way someone her age should look. Miss Hardbroom smiled warmly at her.

"I do hope you have learned something, in your time with us," Miss Hardbroom was relieved to find herself slipping back into her teacher persona, something that was familiar between the two of them.

"Oh, yes. I've learned loads. Do you want to see something Pippa just taught me?"

Mildred pulled out a small candy with a pink wrapper. She set it on the bed then waved her hand. It turned to gold.

"Pippa says when I really master it, I'll be able to do it to animals! But I haven't wanted to try it yet, I don't want to permanently turn them to gold, I just want to give them a gold coloring, like in a frog transformation. I think Ethel will be really impressed. I'm not the worst witch anymore!"

"You were never the worst witch, Mildred," Miss Hardbroom said. "The clumsiest, maybe."

"Yeah...too bad there isn't a spell to fix that."

Miss Hardbroom opened her mouth, then thought better of it and closed it.

"Thank you for everything you've taught me!" Mildred flung her arms around Miss Hardbroom, taking her by surprise.

Miss Hardbroom slowly wrapped her arms around her daughter, words sticking in her throat. "You're welcome," she said softly, love in her voice, that she wished she could express in words. One day, Mildred would understand it all. For now, she was safe.

*l**l*l*l**l*

Mildred Hubble and Julie Hubble sat together on the bench eating ice cream cones and discussing their summer vacations.

"Hardbroom didn't go too hard on you, then?"

"No, I mean she was strict. And that was well... _hard_. But I got the strange feeling...I don't know. It was like she cared about me."

"She does care about you, Millie. Why else would she spend nearly her whole summer tutoring you?"

"Well, maybe she just doesn't want me to be such a nuisance." Mildred smiled up at her mum.

"Hey, I think Miss Hardbroom is the one who is the nuisance to you."

They both laughed.

Pippa waved her hand and the scene dissolved. "I think that's enough spying."

Hecate spun around, ink eyes full of worry.

Pippa took Hecate's anxious hands. "She'll be _fine_ , my love."

Hecate looked down. "I know. I'm just not sure...that I will be."

Pippa pulled her into a hug, holding her tightly as her lover sobbed. In the end Julie Hubble had agreed to give up her memories of Mildred's true origins, but Pippa hadn't been able to let them go. The ice cream that Mildred and Julie Hubble were eating was bewitched—filled with a magical potion—that Pippa had masked the taste of. The potion would quarantine Julie Hubble and Mildred Hubble's memories of Mildred's true origins—but let the memories out for one week every summer. When Mildred came of age, she would decide who remembered where she really came from. Pippa trusted that Mildred would make the right choice—but Hecate did not. She was certain that her daughter would only wish to punish her for keeping her from the truth.

"You will be fine," Pippa said. "And Mildred loves you, even if she doesn't know who you are, she knows who you are. And she's not going to hold this against you, I won't let her."

"Thank you, Pippa. For staying with me," Miss Hardbroom said. They both understood she meant physically and mentally. Miss Hardbroom no longer had to carry the burden of knowledge alone.

"I will stay with you...for as long as you want me to."

Miss Hardbroom and Miss Pentangle held each other, thinking of their daughter. Miles away, Mildred sat on a park bench with her mother, laughing as she ate ice cream, unknowingly gaining a drop of freedom. Mildred couldn't remember how much the world weighed, but one day she would.

*l**l*l*l**l**l**l*l*l**l**l**l*l*l**l**l**l*l*l**l**l**l*l*l**l**l**l*l*l**l**l**l*l*l**l**l**l*l*l**l**l**l*l*l**l**l**l*l*l**l*

 **Author's Note:** Thank you so much everyone for staying with this story for an entire year! Thanks for all of the reviews and support! This was a much longer ride than I thought it would be, and very emotional for me on multiple levels. Season 3 of The Worst Witch comes out on Netflix tomorrow so you can read this while you wait!


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